It’s no secret to opposing hitters that when lefthander Andrew Vasquez is on the mound for the UCSB baseball team they’re going to see a steady dose of nasty sliders.
They know it’s coming, but they still can’t make solid contact on the pitch.
Andrew Vaquez limited the visiting Highlanders on Friday for 6 1/3 innings in a 5-3 UCSB victory. (Presidio Sports Photo)
Vasquez frustrated UC Riverside hitters with his elusive cutter for 6.1 innings and Lance Roenicke belted a two-run homer, leading the Gauchos to a 5-3 win over the Highlanders in the Big West Conference opener on Friday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
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Vasquez allowed one earned run and five hits, while striking out six and walking three. He was lifted in the seventh after giving up one-out walk, which put his pitch count at 114.
UCSB coach Andrew Checketts said Vasquez’s effectiveness with his slider reminds him of New York Yankees relief ace Mariano Rivera
“He’s got the one pitch,” Checketts said. “It’s like Mariano Rivera, it really is. With Mariano Rivera, everyone knows he’s throwing the cutter … every pitch. Everybody in the ballpark knows the cutter is coming with every pitch, but it’s so good they can’t hit it. Andrew has a slider. Everybody knows it’s coming almost 70 percent of the time and they can’t hit it. He was blessed with a good slider. When his fastball and change-up command show up then he becomes unhittable.”
Vasquez said the slider has always been his best pitch.
“I usually throw that for strike and I throw it to get outs, so it has many uses,” he said.
The 6-6 freshman said he felt honored to be the starter in the Big West opener.
“It feels good to have the trust to pitch the first game,” he said.
UC Riverside starter Dylan Stuart also was tough to hit. The lefthander gave up four earned runs and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out four and walked only one.
“Their pitcher is good,” Checketts said. “He’s talented. He’s got a three-pitch mix and really had a plus change-up. That’s the Big West Conference; you’re going to see good pitching. I thought our guys did a good job to score five against him.”
The Gauchos (13-11, 1-0) scratched out a run against Stuart in the second inning. With one out, Greg Mahle singled to left field, advanced to third on a single by Joey Wallace and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Marc Venning.
The Highlanders (7-12, 0-1) threatened in the fourth, putting two runners on base by an infield single off the glove of Vasquez and a hit batter. After Checketts paid a visit to the mound, Vasquez refocused and got Cody Hough to line out to Venning at third base to end the inning.
UCSB made it a 3-0 game in the bottom of the fourth. Brandon Trinkwon singled to open the inning and Bryce Tafelski reached first on a fielding error by Stuart. After fielder’s choice on Mahle’s ground ball put runners at first and third, Wallace smacked a single to left to score Trinkwon. Venning followed with a single to left and Joe Winterburn hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Mahle.
UC Riverside got its only run off Vasquez in the sixth. Phil Holinsworth doubled to the fence in left-center field and scored on a single by Vince Gonzalez that just eluded a diving Trinkwon behind the second-base bag.
Vasquez was nearing the 100-pitch count but Checketts stayed with him and the Gaucho pitcher used his slider to get the Highlanders’ Eddie Young to hit into inning-ending double play.
Jared Wilson relieved Vasquez with one on and one out in the seventh. He walked pinch hitter Drake Zarate but got pinch hitter Alex Rubanowitz to hit into a double play.
UCSB didn’t commit an error in the game.
“It’s always easier to play good defense when you’re throwing strikes. That’s where it all starts, on the mound,” said Checketts
UCSB scored what proved to be the deciding runs of the game in the seventh. Brett Vertigan showed good discipline at the plate and drew a two-out walk off Stuart. Roenicke came up and belted a high fastball off the scoreboard in the left field for a two-run homer and a 5-1 lead.
Roenicke gave props to Vertigan for drawing the walk.
“That was huge by Vertigan,” he said. “We all thought he was going to swing at 3-2. He had his hit streak going, so we thought for sure he was going to swing. That just shows the type of guy he is; he’ll get on base anyway he can to keep the inning going.”
Vertigan’s hitting streak ended at 23 games.
On the homer, Roenicke said, “I was just looking for a pitch over the strike zone that I can put into play pretty hard. I got a fastball in and hit it out.”
The Highlanders made it interesting in the eighth when David Andriese blasted a two-run homer to right off Wilson, cutting the Gaucho lead to 5-3.
Wtih two outs, Mahle switched from first base to closer. After giving up a double to Young and a passed ball, Mahle induced Clayton Prestridge to ground out to shortstop to end the inning.
In the ninth, Mahle struck out Hough looking, walked Zarate and got the next two batters to fly out to end the game.
“It was a great game,” Roenicke said. “Vasquez came and pounded the strike zone like he normally does and Mahle came in at the end and finished it off strong.”
