NORTHRIDGE– After being locked in a 0-0 deadlock through eight innings, the UCSB offense broke through for six runs in the ninth inning off Cal State Northridge closer Joshua Goossen-Brown to take a 6-1 victory in the Big West baseball series opener.
The result snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Matadors in the process.
The win pushed the Gauchos to a season-best six games over .500 at 26-20, with an 11-8 mark in conference play. CSUN fell to 30-19, 14-5.
After a stellar eight-inning, scoreless outing from starter Jerry Keel, CSUN head coach Matt Curtis made thw move to Goossen-Brown in the ninth inning, as Keel had already thrown 122 pitches to that point in the game.
The Gauchos made Curtis regret that decision almost immediately. After designated hitter Robby Nesovic was retired on a phenomenal diving catch of a sinking line drive by shortstop Kyle Attl, eight consecutive UCSB batters would reach base.
Tyler Kuresa started the action by swatting a hanging 1-2 slider into right field for a base hit. Center fielder Cameron Newell followed with a hit-and-run single through the left side to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.
Marc Venning was hit by a pitch Luke Swenson drew a walk to force in a run.
Catcher Jackson Morrow struck the fatal blow next by bouncing a ground ball over third baseman Nicolas Osuna – who was playing in with the bases loaded – to score another pair and push UCSB’s lead to 3-0. Shortstop Brandon Trinkwon would later add a two-run single before the Gauchos scored their final run off a wild pitch.
The six-run outburst allowed UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts to keep starter Austin Pettibone in the game.
Pettibone recorded his second complete game of the season and improved to 7-3.
His only blemish on the day was homer by Nate Ring in the bottom of the ninth. Pettibone allwed just six hits and walked one, while striking out five on 113 pitches.
Keel was just as effective for the Matadors, limiting the Gauchos to just four hits over his eight innings of work.
He pitched out of trouble just one time, but it was an impressive escape act. After a single, error, and walk to lead off the third inning, the Gauchos had the bases loaded with nobody out with Trinkwon up.
The UCSB shortstop then ripped the very first pitch he saw towards right field, but Goossen-Brown – also CSUN’s first baseman – made a backhanded spear of the line drive and then took less than a step to double off Joey Epperson at first. Keel then struck out Woodward to end the threat.
UCSB’s Kuresa was a busy man on Friday, going 2-4 with a pair of singles and recording 11 putouts at first base. Morrow was the only other Gaucho hitter with multiple hits, going 2-3 with a pair of RBIs.
