Gauchos lose back-and-forth game to Fullerton and fall out of first place
UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - The UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (27-13, 13-7 Big West) experienced all the ups and downs of baseball on Saturday, twice coming back from two-run deficits to lead, only to ultimately fall, 9-7, to Cal State Fullerton (20-21, 12-8 Big West) on a grey, damp evening. Liam Barrett and Rowan Kelly each drove in a pair of runs, while Xavier Esquer went 3-for-5 at the plate in the losing effort.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos' rollercoaster ride started low, with an error and a pair of singles giving the visitors a 2-0 run lead in the first inning. The first climb started with starter Nate Aceves responding by setting the Titans down in order in the top of the second and continued with the Santa Barbara offense putting four runs on the board in their half of the inning. Corey Nunez was hit by a pitch, Cole Kosciusko singled and Mitch Namie's RBI groundout got the Gauchos on the board. Esquer's single tied the game, then a wild pitch and an error got him to third base. Another error allowed Nate Vargas to reach safely and Esquer to score. With the inning extended, Kelly's single up the middle extended Santa Barbara's lead to 4-2.
The next dip began in the third, when the Gauchos left the bases loaded without scoring. A walk and two singles got Fullerton a run back in the fourth, and a walk, hit batter and two singles helped the visitors level the score again in the fifth. An RBI fielder's choice put the Titans ahead 5-4 before that inning ended, and a sixth-inning home run put Fullerton ahead by two again.
Esquer led off the sixth with a single, then later scored on Kelly's RBI fielder's choice to start the Gauchos' next climb. In the seventh inning, William Vasseur got on board with a single, then got to third on Esquer's third hit of the game. Esquer showed off some great baserunning instincts on the play too, reaching second. That effort set up Barrett's two-RBI single through the right side, which gave Santa Barbara a 7-6 lead. The Gauchos set the Titans down in order in the top of the eighth, but their ride came screeching to a halt in the ninth, when a lead-off home run tied the game for Fullerton and a single, a double and another single brought home two more runs. Santa Barbara was able to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but there were no twists left on the rollercoaster's track.
The Gauchos are now one game back of in the Big West race trailing both Cal Poly and UC San Diego.
UP NEXT
The Gauchos and Titans will now play a rubber game on Sunday, with the winner taking the series, which would be the tiebreaking factor should the two teams end the regular season tied in The Big West standings. Santa Barbara will send one of their own, Kellan Montgomery and his six wins, to the mound. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. from Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, and tickets are on sale now at ucsbgauchos.com/tickets.
(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)
