The wind that whipped through Santa Barbara on Friday afternoon provided some whacky moments at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, making for an unpredictable 9-8 victory for the UCSB baseball team over Pacific in its conference home opener.
“It started a breeze out at batting practice. Then, at the end of batting practice it started blowing straight in,” said UCSB head coach Bob Brontsema, noticing because the wind can affect his fly-ball hitting lineup. “And then it was blowing all over the place (during the game) so it made it a very difficult day for everybody.”
Momentum in this one shifted like the wind, as the Gauchos gave up a 7-0 lead as quickly as they built it before taking the lead right back for good the next half inning.
The Gauchos’ 7-0 lead was largely due to Eric Oliver’s work in the first and second innings. A first-inning triple and second-inning three-run homer accounted for five RBIs.
“I’m just seeing the ball really well and it happened to go in my favor,” offered Oliver, who said he felt good after going 4-for-6 in Wednesday’s 15-8 win over No. 21 San Diego State.
The first baseman also scored the other two UCSB runs to give the Gauchos the sizable 7-run cushion after two innings.
They needed it.
Starting pitcher Joe Gardner pitched through jams all day long and it eventually caught up to him. The junior righty came into the game with an ERA of 2.39 in over 37 innings pitched but lost his command in the fourth inning, walking Josh Simms to load the bases then hitting No. 9 hitter Ben Gorang to force in a run. Nick Longmire hurt UCSB the most, smashing a grand slam to the deepest part of the outfield where the ball bounced off the top of the wall at the 400-foot sign.
The ball bounced back into play but the second base umpire quickly ruled it a round-tripper.
With the bases cleared, Gardner settled down and got the next two outs to end the inning at 7-5 but quickly ran into trouble again his next trip to the mound. Gardner threw 10 straight balls to begin the top of the fifth, putting the first two Tigers on base. The problem was compounded in the next at-bat by second baseman Steve Cook’s error that allowed Pacific’s Mike McKeever to score and Kurt Widerman to reach base.
After Mike Walker lined a sharply hit double into the right-field corner to score a run making it 7-7, Pacific had runners on second and third with nobody out.
The tide turned even more quickly this time. In an eye-blink, UCSB had turned a double play and a nice play from Ryan Cavan at third base put an end to the inning without any more damage.
“We had two mid-week games and we needed as much out of (Gardner) as we could get,” said Gauchos head coach Bob Brontsema about leaving his starter in there a little longer than he normally would have.
“And he gutted up and gave us six.”
Gardner ended up allowing seven runs on nine hits and five walks.
Gaucho right fielder Mark Haddow made sure to carry the momentum change into the bottom half of the fifth, stroking a two-out double that scored Ryan Cavan from first base. UCSB added another run in the sixth to take a 9-7 lead that would hold until the ninth.
Pacific’s Brian Martin got hold of a David Meals pitch and sent it over the right field fence to pull the Tigers within one. Meals allowed another baserunner, putting the go-ahead run at the plate, but UCSB’s third double play of the game erased the threat.
Meals recorded his team-high fourth save the hard way, going three full innings while only giving up one hit.
Leadoff hitter Gunnar Terhune and No. 2 Brian Gump both had three-hit afternoons. UCSB’s 1-2-3 hitters – Terhune, Gump and Oliver – tallied 8 hits, 5 runs scored and 6 RBIs.
UCSB improves to 16-8 overall and evens its record in the Big West at 2-2 after dropping 2-of-3 in last weekend’s conference opening series against Cal State Northridge. The loss is Pacific’s (10-14, 3-1) first in conference.
“We all know how important this series is,” said Meals, who said he would be available again on Saturday if need be. “A sweep would be nice, but we definitely have to win the series first and foremost.”
Saturday’s game time is 1 p.m.
