UCSB won both games of a doubleheader against Northern Illinois University on Saturday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, taking both in dramatic fashion.
After blowing out NIU 8-1 in the first game of the series on Friday behind Mario Hollands’ 16 strikeout effort, UCSB (7-4) was able to take a three-games-to-none series lead by winning a pair of one-run games by the score of 7-6 and 3-2.
The Gauchos fell behind early in the first game when Joe Etcheverry hit a three run home run off Nick Loredo in the first inning. However, Loredo settled down and pitched well for the next five innings. He gave up ten hits and struck out four over 6.1 innings.
UCSB answered back with a run of its own in the bottom half of the first. Centerfielder Gunnar Terhune led off with a walk and scored on a single by Mark Haddow.
Haddow was just getting warmed up. He went on the stroke a pair of triples, giving him a team-leading four triples on the year.
The first of Haddow’s triples came to lead off the fifth inning. Beck Wheeler followed that up with a triple of his own to score Haddow. Wheeler scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Marty Mullins.
The Gauchos took the lead for the first time with a three-run sixth inning. The scoring got started when Sean Williams hit an RBI double that scored Terhune, who reached on a throwing error by shortstop Alex Jones.
After Trevor Whyte singled and advanced to second on the throw, Haddow hit his second triple. Williams and Whyte both scored on the play.
Terhune made a sprinting catch on the warning track in centerfield before crashing into the fence at full speed, but he held on to the ball. Wheeler made a diving stab at a line drive one batter later.Northern Illinois tied the game in the eighth, but a couple of excellent defensive plays limited the damage.
After the first two Gauchos were retired in the bottom of the ninth, Ryan Tregoning hit a two-out double. Two walks later, Whyte came to the plate with bases loaded and two outs.
He hit a grounder deep in the hole to Alex Jones at shortstop who unsuccessfully tried to get Terhune out at third while Tregoning scored the winning run to end the game with a final score of 7-6.
Junior lefty Kevin Gelinas earned the win by pitching the final inning and a third without allowing a run.
The second game started off better for the Gauchos as they took a one-run lead in the first inning. Terhune led off with a double down the right field line and scored on Haddow’s two-out single.
After the Huskies tied the game in the fourth inning, Terhune helped UCSB get back on top in the fifth when he hit a ball to left field that scored catcher Bryce Tafelski from third.
Terhune appeared to have stretched the hit into a double, but he was called out for missing first base when NIU appealed.
Terhune was back in the action again in the seventh inning with the game tied at 2-2. He knocked in Tafelski for the second time in the game with a single that put the Gauchos up for good.
Nick Capito (2-1) pitched seven solid innings while only allowing two runs before Mike Ford came in to relieve him after UCSB took the lead. Ford pitched a scoreless eighth frame.
David Meals, who pitched and inning and a third in the first game, was back on the mound again to close the game out in the ninth.
With a pair of Huskies on the bases and two outs, Joe Etcheverry hit a ball foul over the fence down the right field line, but Meals kept his cool and struck Etcheverry out to earn the save.
Haddow and Wheeler each had four hits on the day, and Haddow led the team with four RBI. Terhune compiled three hits, three runs and two RBI in the doubleheader.
The final game of the four-game series will take place Sunday at 11 A.M. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
