With the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning of a tie ballgame, UC Santa Barbara junior Dalton Kelly lined a walk-off, pinch-hit single over the head of USC right fielder AJ Ramirez, giving the Gauchos a 3-2 win and handing the previously undefeated Trojans their first loss of the season on Tuesday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
The base hit capped off a UCSB (9-3) rally in the ninth that was predicated mostly on small ball. Junior Robby Nesovic – who started at first base on Tuesday, his first time playing the field this season – started off the frame by smashing a single into left field.
Senior right fielder Luke Swenson then came up attempting to move pinch runner Ryan Clark into scoring position, but his sac bunt became a base hit when USC (12-1) reliever Marc Huberman’s throw pulled his first baseman off the bag.
A successful Campbell Wear sac bunt followed by an intentional walk of Peter Maris loaded the bags for UCSB with one out. Freshman JJ Muno came up in the big spot, but swung through a breaking ball on the outside half of the plate for a strikeout. UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts then summoned Kelly from the dugout to face the Trojans’ new pitcher, Kyle Davis.
After missing outside on the first pitch, Davis left his 1-0 offering over the plate and Kelly put a drive into it, launching it over the right fielder and into the chain link fence in deep right field. Had the game not ended on the play, Kelly easily would have a triple.
The walk-off led to UCSB closer James Carter receiving the win, his first decision as a Gaucho. Carter allowed just one hit and struck out a pair in his 1 1/3 innings, helping preserve a solid start by UCSB lefty Domenic Mazza.
Though he earned a no-decision, it was arguably Mazza’s sharpest start of the year, as the lefty mixed in his lethal change-up early and often, finishing with a line of 7 2/3 innings pitched, five hits, two earned runs, no walks, and a season-high eight strikeouts.
The Trojans scored both of their runs on sac flies in the first and sixth innings after their leadoff hitter Bobby Stahel had reached on a triple and double, respectively.
Besides those two nicks, Tuesday was a full-on pitcher’s duel when both starters were still in the game, as USC lefty Tyler Gilbert surrendred a measly three hits while striking out 11 over six full innings.
Gilbert fanned six Gauchos his first time through the lineup, and he also had six consecutive swinging strikeouts at point.
UCSB scored its first two runs of the game on a fourth inning Campbell Wear sac fly and a seventh inning pinch-hit RBI single from Billy Fredrick.
Nesovic led the way offensively for UCSB on Tuesday, going 3-4 and scoring a pair of runs.
The Gauchos will travel for a road series for the first time this year on Friday, as they will head north to take on the Sacramento State Hornets in the state’s capital. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
