UCSB takes down #1 UCLA ending 27-game win streak
UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - Beat LA!
The Gauchos go to Los Angeles and knock off top-ranked UCLA 4-0 to snap the Bruins remarkable 27-game win streak.
"Midweeks are different," began UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts. "I don't want to downplay it, our guys did a really good job — midweeks are obviously different than weekends. You see a lot of upsets that happen, but our guys played well and that's a good team. I think we've got a good team, and it's not very often you get to play the number-one ranked team in the country at their place and win."
UCSB has the top pitching earned run average in the country and they limit mighty UCLA to just five hits.
The Bruins had outscored their opponents 255-85 during this win streak but they are shutout for the first time this year.
UCLA came close to scoring in the bottom of the first inning off of Gauchos starter Calvin Proskey.
With the bases loaded and two-outs, Bruins standout Will Gasparino lined a ball down the left-field line but Colin Beazizo made a diving catch to end the inning, most likely saving three runs on the web gem.
Rowan Kelly staked UCSB to a 2-0 lead with a single to left-center to drive in Cole Kosciusko and Xavier Esquer.
After Proskey pitched 3 scoreless innings in just his second start on the season, AJ Krodel came in and fired 3.1 innings of 2-hit shutout relief striking out 4.
From there Cole Tryba dazzled with an 8-out save which included working out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout of Bruins superstar Roch Chowlowsky.
The Gauchos added two insurance runs in the top of the eight inning on an RBI double by William Vasseur to plate Kelly and an RBI single from Beazizo.
Tryba pitched a 1,2,3 ninth inning to earn his second save on the season and he finished with five strikeouts.
The win is Santa Barbara's first over the nation's No. 1 team since March 3, 2020, when they beat UCLA, 8-5, at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
UCSB improves to 23-11 on the year while UCLA suffers just their third loss on the year (33-3) and first setback since February 24th.
UCLA is at UCSB on Tuesday, April 28th at 4:35 p.m.
(UCSB Athletics contributed to this article).
