SAN JOSE -Nick Capito pitched well in his UCSB debut, allowing one earned run in 7.1 innings, but it wasn’t enough as a two-out error in the seventh allowed San Jose State to score three runs and come away with a 4-2 victory on Sunday at Municipal Stadium.
The victory allowed the Spartans to take the three-game series after UCSB won the first game.
Capito followed fellow junior college transfer Nick Loredo’s strong performance on Saturday with one of his own on Sunday, but neither was rewarded with a victory in their Gaucho debuts.
Capito, who came to UCSB from Santa Ana Junior College where he went 12-2 with a 2.70 ERA last season, allowed seven hits while striking out three and walking none in his 7.1 innings.
The Gauchos fall to 2-2 on the season while SJSU improves to 3-2.
With two out and a runner on second, third baseman Beck Wheeler’s throwing error kept the inning alive for the Spartans. Tyler Christian hit a three-run homer off of Capito, giving San Jose State a 4-2 lead.
With one out and runners on second and third in the eighth, Trevor Whyte and Ryan Tregoning each grounded out and the Gauchos didn’t capitalize on a leadoff walk in the ninth inning, dropping their second straight game.
UCSB tied the score at 1-1 in the third inning when Wheeler hit a leadoff double and eventually scored on Matt Valaika’s ground out. The Gauchos took a 2-1 lead in the fifth when Marty Mullins reached on an error and later scored on Gunnar Terhune’s ground out.
UCSB managed four hits on the day with Wheeler accumulating two of them. Valaika and Mark Haddow each tallied a hit apiece.
The Gauchos face Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles on Tuesday at 2 p.m. and then travel for a three-game series at Stanford next weekend. UCSB does not return home until a four-game weekend series beginning Friday, Mar. 12 vs. Northern Illinois.
