Joey Wallace rounds third base after belting a solo home run in the fourth inning. (Presidio Sports Photos)
Andrew Vasquez held LMU scoreless through four innings before walks undid his performance in the fifth.
Loyola Marymount took advantage of five UC Santa Barbara errors and some wildness on the mound en route to a 9-5 win on Friday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium in Santa Barbara.
The loss ends the Gauchos’ four-game winning streak and drops them to 5-4 on the year. LMU improves to 3-6.
UCSB starting pitcher Andrew Vasquez was wild, but battled in-and-out of trouble through the first four innings. The Gauchos took a 2-0 lead in the third on RBI singles by Brandon Trinkwon and Greg Mahle.
Santa Barbara upped the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth when Joey Wallace belted a mammoth home run over the screen in left field. It was Wallace’s second home run of the season.
The Lions, who stranded nine runners through four innings, including the bases loaded in the first and second, finally broke through in the fifth.
Alex Guthrie reached on an error to lead things off for LMU and then stole second as Shon Roe struck out. A fly out to right by Cullen Mahoney moved Guthrie to third base with two outs. A walk to David Edwards put runners on the corners and Colton Plaia was safe on catcher’s interference to load the bases. Matt Lowenstein walked, scoring Guthrie with the first run of the inning.
After the first run scored, Vasquez was replaced by Dalton Douty and by the time the dust settled in the top of the fifth, the Lions had scored five unearned runs on just two hits to take a 5-3 lead.
Vasquez went 4.2 innings and allowed just two hits, but he was credited with four runs, none earned, six walks and six strikeouts.
LMU extended its lead with a run in the top of the sixth and three in the top of the seventh with the big blows coming from Guthrie, who had an RBI double, and Roe, who had a two-run single.
The Gauchos got one back in the bottom of the seventh when shortstop Brandon Trinkwon tripled home Lance Roenicke, who had doubled with two outs. UCSB scored another in the bottom of the ninth when pinch hitter Bryce Tafelski, who doubled to open the inning, scored on a groundout by Roenicke.
UCSB outhit LMU by an 11-10 count. The Gauchos were paced by Trinkwon, Roenicke and Brett Vertigan who had two hits apiece. Trinkwon had two RBI. On the mound, Vasquez was credited with the loss and is now 1-1. Casey Schapper was sharp in relief as he went the final two innings and allowed just one hit.
Colin Welmon (1-1) got the win for the Lions. Although he was shaky at times, he went 6.0 innings, allowing six hits and one walk while striking out five.
UCSB and LMU will continue the series on Saturday and Sunday with 1:00 p.m. games at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
