BAKERSFIELD – Left-handed pitcher Zak Edgington went eight solid innings and a three-run eighth inning from UC Santa Barbara’s offense helped the Gauchos to a 6-2 win over Utah on Saturday.
With the victory, head coach Andrew Checketts tied the school record for wins by a first-year head coach. Both he and Al Ferrer in 1981 have won 27 games. Checketts can surpass the total with a win in the season finale on Sunday.
Edgington struck out six and allowed just one earned run on five hits as he matched his career-high in innings pitched. He was involved in a tight game the entire time he was on the mound until his offense broke through late in the game.
Peter Maris singled and stole second to open the eighth before Brett Vertigan walked. The center fielder has now reached base in all but one game this season, although his 11-game hitting streak came to a close. Vertigan has had hitting streaks of 23 and 11 games this season.
Lance Roenicke added to his school record by sacrificing the two runners up to second and third before Brandon Trinkwon was walked intentionally. Marc Venning’s ground out brought in a run before Greg Mahle’s single scored two more.
Mahle and Venning each had two RBI while Trinkwon had two hits and scored three times.
Edgington was gunning for his first-ever complete game as he opened the ninth, but the Utes opened the inning with a double, a walk and a run-scoring single to chase the senior lefty. Mahle got the final three outs for his fifth save of the season.
The Gauchos, 27-28 overall, finish the 2012 season with a 4 p.m. game on Sunday at CSU Bakersfield.
