There would be no dramatic, ninth-inning comebacks on Saturday to follow what UCSB’s baseball team did on Friday. Instead, the Gauchos succumbed to No. 12 Cal Poly, 6-5, to even the weekend series at one game apiece.
UCSB falls to 23-13 and 6-5 in the Big West while the Mustangs improved to 28-10, 9-5.
After Cal Poly scored three runs – all with two outs – in the first inning against Mario Hollands (4-4), the Gauchos climbed back into it with a run in the third and two more in the fifth.
Brian Gump, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a prodigious home run in the seventh inning, drew a two-out walk in the third inning and Eric Oliver followed with a run-scoring double to make it 3-1.
After the Mustangs scored a run in the fourth, UCSB came back with two in the fifth when Shane Carlson doubled and John DeAlba singled to put runners on second and third to open the inning. Gunnar Terhune’s single scored one and Robby Cummings later had a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3.
Cal Poly added a run in the top of the seventh on Luke Yoder’s solo homer, but the Gauchos got the run back on Gump’s blast, his career-best sixth of the season, which also ties him for the most on the team.
The Mustangs got another run on a squeeze bunt in the eighth but the Gauchos again came back with another run when Carlson’s infield single scored Marty Mullins, who had doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Carlson finished 2-for-3 with a run.
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Terhune led off the ninth with a walk against Cal Poly closer Eric Massingham, but Gump’s sacrifice bunt attempt was popped up for an out. Oliver, who had three hits on Friday and two more on Saturday, then hit a shot that third baseman J.J. Thompson speared to start a game-ending double play.
Hollands pitched well after getting out of the first inning. The sophomore left-hander allowed four earned runs despite allowing 10 hits and walking seven. Hollands struck out three in six innings.
Mike Ford, who pitched 6.1 scoreless frames in relief last week, pitched two more scoreless innings on Saturday, allowing just one hit.
The Gauchos and Mustangs finish their series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. Right-hander Zach Samuels (2-2, 4.15 ERA) will face Cal Poly’s RHP Mason Radeke (3-1, 5.35 ERA).
