LONG BEACH – UCSB’s Nick Capito took a line drive off his forehead on Saturday night at Blair Field, but early reports were that the junior left-handed pitcher was doing well after the scare.
Long Beach’s Devin Lohman led off the bottom of the fourth by hitting a line drive back at the Gauchos’ pitcher, striking Capito on the head near the bill of his cap.
Capito walked off the mound under his own power and was said to be doing OK by the team following Saturday’s game.
The incident cast a pall on the game, which Long Beach ended up winning, 8-4. The 49ers scored four runs in the eighth inning to break open a tie game and hand UCSB its fifth straight loss – the Gauchos’ longest losing skid of the season.
UCSB (16-17 overall, 3-5 in the Big West) was led offensively by shortstop Matt Valaika, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI while Gunnar Terhune scored two runs.
Capito, who transferred to UCSB from Santa Ana JC, was pitching well before being hit. The Whittier, Calif. native allowed just one run on two hits in three innings, while striking out four.
Nick Loredo replaced Capito on the mound and allowed three runs in 3.2 innings.
Greg Davis, who had yielded just one run in his past 16.1 innings, allowed four runs in the eighth inning. The 49ers loaded the bases on a walk and two infield hits before Jordan Casas doubled down the right-field line to break the 4-4 tie.
Connor Whalen entered the game and struck out the next two batters, but Brennan Metzger doubled down the left-field line to give LBSU its final margin.
UCSB scored single runs in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings, with the last score – coming on Trevor Whyte’s single – giving the Gauchos a 4-2 lead. However, LBSU scored twice in the seventh to tie the game when a double play scored one run and Metzger’s single scored another.
Sunday’s game can be heard on AM 1490 at 12:45 p.m. and streaming live online at UCSBgauchos.com.
