Flora shines on the mound but Gauchos can’t hold 9th inning lead in loss

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - It was another fantastic Friday start for UCSB ace pitcher Jackson Flora. However the Gauchos finish was forgettable as they lost at home 2-1 to Hawai'i.

Flora pitched seven innings of 1-hit, shutout ball and he tied his career-high with 12 strikeouts. The only hit he allowed was an infield single to third by Kamana Nahaku.

But for the first time this year the Gauchos did not win a game that Flora started who is 5-0 on the year and lowered his ERA to 0.94.

UCSB took a 1-0 lead into the top of the ninth inning but a throwing error by second baseman Cade Goldstein allowed the tying run to score and Elijah Ickes singled in the go-ahead run off of reliever Cole Tryba.

The Gauchos lone run came in the second inning on a wild pitch.

They managed just 3 hits off Hawai'i starter Isaiah Magdaleno who worked 8 innings and improved to 3-1.

UCSB has dropped three straight games to fall to 4-3 in the Big West and 14-5 overall.