Gallagher and 6-run second inning lifts UCSB past Hawai’i in Big West Baseball

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Ryan Gallagher set a career high for the second consecutive home start on Friday night, striking out 12 Hawai'i batters to make the UC Santa Barbara Baseball team's six-run second inning more than enough to win the first game of their series against the Rainbow Warriors, 8-2. Ivan Brethowr stayed hot too, crushing a two-run home run as part of that big inning. Justin Trimble drove in four of the eight Santa Barbara runs on 2-for-3 hitting.

FROM HEAD COACH ANDREW CHECKETTS
"We got a good Friday start, so it was refreshing," Checketts said. "He [Gallagher] was in the zone, had a couple innings where he had to pitch through some traffic, made some clutch pitches. I thought our guys did a really nice job behind him defensively, especially Trimble at third base really made some nice plays. We got the pick-off at third base, which kind of changes the momentum of that inning and — it felt like — the game, at that point. Really nice job by him, really nice job by Tryba coming back on two days' rest after throwing on Tuesday, getting that zero. Offense was good early, we kind of sunk in the middle, and then the two after that. A little more sustained offense is what Coach Fonteno is talking to them about."

HOW IT HAPPENED
Gallagher was all business to start the game, setting the Rainbow Warriors down in order in the first, including a strikeout and a groundout right back to him on the mound. He worked around a pair of singles in the second, with Aaron Parker throwing out one of those runners in a strike-'em-out-throw-'em-out double play.

The Gaucho offense put some traffic on the bases in their half of the second as well, but they made sure to bring those runners in early and often. Nick Oakley led off with an opposite-field double, and after Jonah Sebring was hit by a pitch, Trimble drove both men in with an RBI double into deep left center. Brethowr then blasted the first pitch he saw way out to left field, making it 4-0 Gauchos before they had made an out.

Zander Darby's single kept the rally going, then Jonathan Mendez worked a nine-pitch walk. Parker got some help from the whipping wind to reach base, as a high pop-up blew away from the Hawai'i fielders, dropping in fair territory near the left-field line. Brendan Durfee then added to the home team's lead with an identical single, diving fielders and everything. Oakley drove in the sixth run of the inning on his second plate appearance of the frame with a sacrifice fly, scoring Mendez.

Gallagher worked around more traffic in the third, stranding Rainbow Warriors on the corners, and surrendered solitary runs in the fourth and fifth, the only blemishes on his ledger. He found himself in another tough spot in the sixth inning, with runners on the corners again, but he picked off the Hawai'i baserunner at third to end the inning. He punctuated his outing with a perfect seventh inning before making way for Cole Tryba.

Between Gallagher's departure and Tryba's entrance, the Gaucho offense got their bats going again in the bottom of the seventh inning, getting back the two runs Hawai'i had pipped Gallagher for. Three straight singles resulted in the two runs, with Trimble's base knock up the middle the run-scoring hit. Brethowr continued his strong night with a double down the left field line, but Trimble held up at third.

Tryba worked a perfect eighth inning then handed the ball to Brady Huddlestun for the ninth. Huddlestun loaded the bases with two outs but did not surrender a run.

BY THE NUMBERS
Ryan Gallagher has now issued double-digit strikeouts in each of his last two starts at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, setting career highs both times. Gallagher is pitching to a 1.80 ERA in 25 innings at home this season, with 32 strikeouts and a .172 batting average against.
Ivan Brethowr's second-inning home run was his fifth of the season and his fourth at home. It was also his third in the last two games after the big righty went yard twice on Tuesday night.
Friday was the Gauchos' 10th time facing a left-handed starting pitcher this season; Santa Barbara has won seven of those contests, with six of them coming at home.

UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara and Hawai'i are set to face off in the second game of this series on Saturday at 3:05 p.m. but are keeping an eye on the forecast with rain approaching. The game remains as scheduled currently; any schedule changes will be announced no earlier than 7 a.m. Pacific Saturday morning.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)