After battling for just under five hours and over 13 innings, sixth-ranked UC Santa Barbara and Loyola Marymount ended their Tuesday afternoon clash at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium in a 6-6 tie after the game was called due to darkness in the bottom of the 14th inning.
Freshman first baseman Austin Bush, the first batter of the bottom of the 14th, led off the inning by blistering a line drive comebacker at LMU reliever Kevin Glomb. After that missile, the umpires converged and quickly decided to put an end to the game.
Because the 14th inning was not completed, the game technically ended at the end of the 13th frame, meaning among other things that Bush was not credited with his pseudo-walk off base hit.
This is the third game in the past two years for UCSB that has been called or suspended due to darkness.
Both squads had chances to take the victory in the contest.
The Gauchos, who entered the game with the best team ERA in the nation at 2.12, led 4-1 after five innings and carried a two-run lead into the ninth inning, but Lion rallies ultimately tied the game at 5-all at the end of regulation.
Similarly, a pair of spectacular defensive plays from UCSB outfielders prevented LMU from plating would-be go-ahead runs late in the contest.
First in the 10th, sophomore center fielder Andrew Calica made a diving catch on the warning track of a sharply struck line drive that was slicing away from him, going full-extension to his right to make the inning-ending and RBI-triple-preventing snag.
Then in the 12th, senior left fielder Cameron Newell camped out and made a fine leaping catch, robbing a David Fletcher home run.
Newell also starred with the bat for the Gauchos, collecting two hits and reaching base five times in the contest. Four other UCSB batters joined Newell in the multi-hit club, including Billy Fredrick – who reached base four times – and Peter Maris, who extended his hitting streak to a team-best 17 games.
On the mound, junior lefty Domenic Mazza was solid, delivering eight innings while allowing three runs on seven hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. With the tie, the team remains undefeated in his eight starts.
