SACRAMENTO – A trio of Gauchos, senior DH Robby Nesovic, junior first baseman Dalton Kelly, and sophomore centerfielder Andrew Calica, each provided game-changing offensive performances at different junctures of Sunday’s series finale at John Smith Field, helping No. 18 UC Santa Barbara to an 8-6 win over Sacramento State in 11 innings.
The extra innings victory gave UCSB (11-4) the series as well after having split the first games. The Hornets fell to 7-6 on the year.
Calica made the difference ultimately in the game, as he recorded the eventual game-winning hit in the 11th. Despite dragging an 0-5 line to the plate with him, the slick-hitting outfielder raked a first pitch fastball from Hornets reliever Grant Kukuk into right field for a double, scoring senior third baseman Peter Maris – who had reached on an infield single – and Kelly.
The extra-inning rally rewarded redshirt freshman Joe Record with his first career win after a superb relief effort. The right-hander tossed 3 2/3 innings and gave up just two hits while striking out four. He retired in order the final 10 batters he faced in the contest.
Prior to Calica’s heroics, the Gauchos and Hornets engaged in a see-saw battle of lead changes during regulation.
UCSB fired the initial salvo, all the way back in the very first inning.
As part of a 4-5 day, Nesovic got the day started off right, lining a double into the left-center gap off Sac St. starter Ty Nichols, bringing in Calica. Nesovic would later come around to score on a passed ball, putting the Gauchos up 2-0.
With neither team mounting much of a threat over the first half of the game, the Hornets finally fired back with a four-run inning in the fifth. Third baseman Brandon Hunley opened business by yanking a two-run homer over the left field fence to tie the game. Their rally did not end there however, as the next two batters would reach. Both would come around to score, on a sac fly and RBI single respectively, to put Sac St. up 4-2.
That Hornets lead was short-lived, lasting less than two full innings.
Nesovic led off the seventh inning with his second double of the game, moving to third on Woody Woodward’s ensuing base hit. Maris lowered the UCSB deficit to one with a sac fly on the next play, but Kelly put a charge into a Tyler Beardsley full-count offering just a few batters later, launching a go-ahead homer over the right-center field fence.
Nesovic hadn’t had his fill of extra-base hits for the day, so he ripped yet another double, his third of the day, in the eighth inning to score Luke Swenson and put the Gauchos up 8-4.
Though it ended well for UCSB, it was dealt a blow in the bottom of the eighth when Sacramento State scored a pair of back-to-back singles, forcing the game into extras.
UCSB starter Justin Jacome took a no-decision on the day, allowing four earned on six hits while walking two and striking out six in seven full innings. His counterpart, Nichols, allowed a pair of unearned runs over six innings. Kukuk, who allowed the 11th inning double to Calica, was stuck with the loss, falling to 1-2 on the year.
The Gauchos will wrap up their season-long six game road swing next weekend as they travel to Kansas to take on Wichita State. UCSB won two of three against the Shockers at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium a year ago. First pitch is on Friday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Pacific.
