UCSB baseball wins nonleague game against LMU
UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (31-14) made their quick stop at home a good one, defeating Loyola Marymount (23-21) on Tuesday night, 7-4, to complete a sweep of the two-game season series. The Gauchos had taken the first game back on March 13 in Los Angeles, 13-6. Christian Kirtley and Jared Sundstrom both homered Tuesday night, while Carter Benbrook earned the win and Tyler Bremner the save.
For a fourth straight game as the Gauchos' lead-off hitter, Kirtley got on base to start the game, knocking a single through the right side of the Lions' infield. Sundstrom joined him on the base paths thanks to a fielding error, and both would come around to score when Jonah Sebring ripped a two-out double down the left field line.
The Gauchos got off to a hot start on the mound too, with Reed Moring striking out four Lions through his first two innings of work. The freshman righty opened and closed the top of the first with strikeouts, then struck out the first two batters of the second inning to make it three in a row retired by way of the K. Unfortunately, the LMU offense got to Moring in the third, starting the frame with two singles and a double to cut the lead in half. Benbrook relieved Moring and nearly cut down what became the second LMU run at home, flipping a softly hit grounder back to catcher Aaron Parker, just barely not in time. An equally heads-up play from Parker made sure Santa Barbara still got the out at first.
Kirtley quickly un-tied the game in the bottom of the third, launching a home run to straightaway center field. The Gauchos looked primed to score more in the inning, stealing a total of three bases. Zander Darby singled through the right side and then stole second, stealing third on ball four to Sundstrom. Sundstrom then promptly stole second, but both would be left stranded.
Holding on to a one-run lead, Benbrook had to work on the mound in the fourth, facing runners on the corners with just one out. He got a huge hand from LeTrey McCollum, who made a great play coming in from first base to field a bunt and flip it to Parker at home in time to get the runner trying to score from third. Benbrook would get out of the inning unscathed a few batters later, leaving the bases loaded.
The Gauchos picked up some insurance in the bottom of the fifth, with a pair of two-out walks loading the bases before Parker worked a walk himself to drive in a run. With the bags still juiced, Ivan Brethowr smacked a base hit into left field to drive in two more runs, making it 6-2.
Alex Schrier relieved Benbrook to start the sixth and gave up a run after a double, single, and fielder's choice, but escaped any further damage with a bases-loaded strikeout to end the frame. The Lions got another run in the seventh after starting the inning with three straight walks, but a 5-4-3 double play helped Sam Whiting limit it to just one run.
Even better, Santa Barbara got one of those runs back in their half of the seventh, with Sundstrom blasting the first pitch he saw well over the left field wall, re-taking the team and conference home run lead after Kirtley's third-inning blast had tied it.
Whiting was back on the mound for the eighth and worked a perfect inning, then Bremner relieved him and did the same in the ninth, picking up a strikeout on the way to his fourth save of the season.
The Gauchos hit the road again for the weekend, heading to Long Beach State for a three-game series against the Dirtbags, May 12-14. Saturday's contest will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU, with Friday and Sunday's games being streamed on ESPN+. Live stats and an audio only broadcast will be available for all three games. First pitch times are set for 6 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.
(article courtesy of UCSB Athletics).
