Ranked as high as No. 19 earlier Monday as a new set of rankings came out, the good news for the UC Santa Barbara baseball team ended there. In an afternoon game vs. UC Riverside, the Gauchos managed two hits and made five errors in a 10-1 defeat.
Mike Ford (3-1) started for UCSB, which is ranked No. 19 by rivals.com and is ranked in three other polls and receiving votes in a fourth, and went four innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits. Three other pitchers – Clayton Edwards, Patrick McIntyre and Jesse Meaux – allowed six runs on seven hits the rest of the way.
UCSB committed five errors on the day, the most the team has had in a game, although its nowhere near the school record of nine, which came in 1996. The Gauchos fall to 13-5 on the season, missing a chance to equal the 1984 team’s start of 14-4. Instead, UCSB is still off to its best start of a season since 1991.
Gunnar Terhune and Shane Carlson had the only hits for the Gauchos. Terhune doubled in the third, went to third on a passed ball and then scored on Brian Gump’s sacrifice fly. That was all UCSB could muster vs. Ryan Platt (2-0).
The Riverside right-hander went seven innings, walking two and striking out six and the lone run he allowed was unearned due to the passed ball.
The Highlanders (15-4) earned a split of the brief two-game, non-conference series. The two teams will meet again for a three-game series beginning May 15 at Riverside.
UCSB opens Big West play this weekend when the Gauchos travel to Cal State Northridge for a three-game weekend series. The Gauchos return home on Tuesday, Mar. 31 to take on San Diego State.
No. 19 Gauchos taken down by Highlanders, 10-1
March 23, 2009 by
