UTA cleanup hitter Jackson Morris went 4-4 with four RBIs while shortstop Travis Sibley added a clutch, bases-clearing double as part of a five-run fifth in a 7-5 win over No. 13 UC Santa Barbara on Friday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
Leadoff hitter Andrew Calica, first baseman Dalton Kelly, and shortstop Clay Fisher all had two-hit days for the Gauchos (13-6), who led 3-2 after six innings.
The starting pitchers for both teams were solid in the early portion of the game, with neither team leading by more than one run until the Mavericks put up a five-spot on UCSB righty Dillon Tate and the Gaucho bullpen in the seventh inning.
UTA (11-8) starter Chad Nack didn’t receive a decision on the day, allowing three earned runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. Reliever Zach Hobbs got the win despite surrendering a sixth-inning lead on a walk, moving to 1-1 on the year. Closer Colin Tornberg picked up his sixth save of the year with a scoreless ninth.
The seventh frame spoiled what was otherwise another strong start for Tate, who ended the day with a line of 6 2/3 innings pitched, five hits, four earned runs, three walks, and eight strikeouts. He has now pitched at least 6 2/3 innings and struck out six or more in all six of his starts this season.
However, he was tagged with his second loss in five decisions due to that seventh inning rally.
After allowing a leadoff single in the seventh, Tate looked to be in control as he retired the next two batters on a groundout and swinging strikeout. Recently extended UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts then made the decision to pull Tate after he hit a batter to put two runners on as the Gauchos ace had thrown over 100 pitches in his outing.
Freshman lefty Kyle Nelson then entered the contest. After a walk, Sibley yanked a blooper into medium left field. UCSB left fielder Cameron Newell tried to make a diving catch on the ball, but he came up short and all three runners were able to come across. Morris drove in the eventual game-winning run a couple of batters later with a two-run single.
UCSB led briefly after the bottom of the sixth as they scored a pair of runs off Nack. Kelly connected on a first pitch changeup and drove it over the right-center field wall for a leadoff home run, with UTA right fielder Jerame Littell taking just a couple of steps towards the ball before watching it sail over his head.
A Campbell Wear single through the left side during the next at-bat combined with two walks and a hit-by-pitch led to another run for the Gauchos.
After falling behind with that big seventh by UTA, the Gauchos mounted a comeback effort in the eighth, with pinch-hitter Dempsey Grover and Calica singling before Woody Woodward earned his second free pass of the day to load the bases with nobody out.
However, UCSB couldn’t get a big hit from that juncture, with a Newell RBI groundout and Robby Nesovic sac fly bringing across the only Gaucho runs of the inning.
UCSB will host a pair of games against different opponents tomorrow, opening against UTA at 11:00 a.m. before welcoming Dartmouth for a 3:00 p.m. nightcap. Junior lefty Justin Jacome is scheduled to take the ball against the Mavericks while fellow junior southpaw Domenic Mazza is slated for the second half of the twinbill.
