SACRAMENTO – Nick Capito pitched on shorter-than-normal rest for the second week in a row and for the second week in a row, was dominant. Opening a three-game series against Sacramento State on Thursday, Capito threw his second consecutive complete game, this time blanking the Hornets in a 9-0 UCSB victory.
The junior left-hander from Whittier allowed just seven hits while striking out a career-high six batters in nine sharp innings. Capito, who threw his first complete game last Saturday in a win over USF, was backed by three home runs, for the Gauchos’ third win in a row.
UCSB is now 12-8 on the season while Sac State falls to 8-15-1.
Capito, now 4-2 with a team-low 2.89 ERA, started the season as the Gauchos’ Sunday starter, but moved to the Saturday slot last week. After throwing just 99 pitches in his win over USF, he was tabbed to open this series on Thursday.
Capito, who transferred to UCSB from Santa Ana JC, allowed only one runner past second base on Thursday. He is the first Gaucho pitcher to throw consecutive complete games since All-American James Garcia did so in May, 2001.
The Gauchos scored six of their runs in the first two innings as Beck Wheeler hit a two-run homer in the first and Ryan Palermo and Sean Williams each homered in the second. Palermo’s was a three-run home run.
UCSB had 12 hits as all but one starter recorded a hit. Wheeler and Williams each had two RBI while Mark Haddow and Trevor Whyte joined them as Gauchos to enjoy multi-hit games. UCSB added single runs in the fourth, fifth and eighth innings.
Last week Capito allowed USF just two runs in his complete-game victory, striking out three. This time he was even better. In his past two starts, Capito has allowed just 14 hits and two runs while walking two and striking out nine.
When Garcia tossed his back-to-back complete games – on May 4 against Long Beach State and May 11 against Cal State Fullerton – he allowed 11 hits, three earned runs while striking out 11 and walking four.
Capito faced just four batters over the minimum and was aided by a pair of double plays. However, the way he was pitching, he might have gotten out of trouble himself.
The Gauchos continue their three-game series vs. Sacramento State on Friday at 2 p.m. and conclude it on Saturday at 1 p.m. UCSB returns home on Tuesday to host Loyola Marymount at 2 p.m.
