The UCSB baseball team went up early in Tuesday’s game, but a middle-inning hitting barrage by Loyola Marymount gave the Lions all they needed in a 12-4 win at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
Before the Lions even recorded a hit, the Gauchos led 4-0 courtesy of three runs in the first inning. Beck Wheeler, Matt Valaika and Trevor Whyte all had RBI singles off LMU starter Martin Viramontes.
But, while the LMU bullpen held the Gauchos in check, UCSB’s bullpen couldn’t do the same.
After starter Greg Davis pitched three perfect innings, five relievers allowed all 12 of the Lions runs and all 10 of LMU’s hits. LMU (15-12) scored four runs in the fifth and five times in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
It was the Lions’ 12th win in their past 14 games while the Gauchos (12-11) dropped their third straight contest.
Valaika and Gunnar Terhune each had three-hit days as UCSB had 12 hits, but the Gauchos stranded nine runners on the day.
Mike Ford (0-1) took the loss, allowing seven runs (five earned) in 2.1 innings of relief. The senior allowed just three hits, but he hit three others with a pitch and walked two more.
Sam Phippen made his season debut. The right-hander, who also plays on the Gaucho basketball team, allowed two runs on one hit in 2/3 of an inning.
UCSB opens Big West Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Cal Poly. Friday and Saturday’s games start at 6 p.m. while Sunday’s game starts at 1 p.m. All three games can be heard on AM 1490 and streaming live online at UCSBgauchos.com.
