UCSB baseball secures series win over CSU Bakersfield

By ERIC BOOSE UCSB SPORTS

The UCSB baseball team (14-3, 2-0 Big West) secured their first series win in conference play this season on Saturday, defeating CSU Bakersfield (7-10, 0-2 Big West), 4-2. The win extends the Gauchos’ unbeaten run to nine games, and is their 14th consecutive victory over the Roadrunners.

HOW IT HAPPENED

UCSB got off to a great start on the mound and at the plate, with Matt Ager striking out the side in the top of the first before Christian Kirtley drove in a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. A two-out walk put a Gaucho on first, then Kirtley got every bit of a 3-1 breaking ball, hitting a no-doubt, two-run home run over the scoreboard in left field.

UCSB had a chance to add on in the second, with another two-out walk, a hit batter, and an errant pick-off throw putting runners on second and third, but Bakersfield escaped the inning. That throwing error was one of four Roadrunner errors on the night, with a fifth-inning gaffe helping the Gauchos pick up some insurance. With two outs and runner on first, Bakersfield’s shortstop misplayed a bouncing grounder, allowing Aaron Parker to reach to extend the inning, with Ivan Brethowr scampering from first to third on the play. After a four-pitch walk loaded the bases,

Kirtley worked a walk himself, driving in his third run of the afternoon.

However, Kirtley’s walk only made it a 3-1 game because, in the top of the fifth, Bakersfield had finally gotten to Matt Ager. After striking out the side in the first, Ager pitched perfect second and third innings, only giving up his first baserunner on a one-out single in the fourth, which never posed a real threat. A lead-off single in the fifth would come around to score, but Ager was right back in control of the game afterwards, even working around another lead-off single in the sixth. Ager was excellent in the seventh, striking out the first two batters, then making a great play on a grounder in front of the mound to end the inning.

The Gauchos had given their starter some insurance in the bottom of the sixth, with Jared Sundstrom reaching on an infield single, stealing second, and scoring on a LeTrey McCollum single to make it 4-1. Ager would need that insurance as he pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in his career, giving up another lead-off single and then allowing his first extrabase hit of the evening, an RBI double to the right-centerfield gap. Carter Benbrook took over after that, getting out of the inning with one pitch. Benbrook was back out for the ninth inning, striking out the first two Roadrunners before getting a huge hand from his defense. With a runner on first, the Bakersfield batter hit a ball toward shallow right field, only for Brethowr to close the distance and make a diving catch to end the game.

Westmont baseball sweeps Lions

By RON SMITH WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

Westmont Baseball (21-5, 10-

2 GSAC), ranked 18th in the NAIA, completed a series sweep of #9 Vanguard (17-11, 5-7) by taking both ends of a Golden State Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday at Russ Carr Field. The Warriors won the first game in come-frombehind fashion by a score of 9-6, then posted a 5-3 win in game number two.

At the midpoint of the GSAC regular season schedule, the Warriors find themselves in first place with a two and onehalf game lead over Hope International (17-6, 7-4) and an 11-game winning streak.

The first game started well for the Warriors. Robbie Haw led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk, then scored when Brady Renck tripled to right field. Renck scored when Ryan DeSaegher singled to left to make it a 2-0 game.

In the top of the second, however, Vanguard scored two runs of their own to tie the game. The first came on an RBI-single by Fred Buckson that drove in Antonio Omphroy. The second run scored when Luke Arias singled to left to bring Buckson home.

In the top of the fourth, Vanguard bats came alive. The inning started with back-toback triples by Christopher Famolaro and Arias, making it a 3-2 game. Arias was retired before he could score on a heads up play by first baseman Daniel Patterson. With one away, Michael Downtain attempted a safety squeeze. Patterson fielded the bunt and threw to DeSaegher at third. DeSaegher applied the tag before Arias could scramble back to the bag, resulting in the second out of the inning.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, Downtain would eventually score on an RBIsingle by Adam Stevens. Then, Oscar Diaz pounded a two-run home run to right field to make the score 6-2 in favor of the Lions.

The score remained the same until after the seventhinning stretch. With one away, DeSaegher singled to center field, then advanced to second when Parker O’Neil was hit by a pitch. Finn Snyder came up next and loaded the bases with a single to left center. DeSaegher came home to make the score 6-3 when Patterson walked.

With two away and the bases still packed with Warriors, Shane Hofstadler was asked to pinch hit. The hero of yesterday’s game came through again. His towering fly ball just cleared the right-field fence for a grand slam that gave Westmont a 7-6 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, email: sports@newspress.com

Snyder added on to Westmont’s advantage with his first home run of the year, a two-run shot to right-center.

Aidan Holly was awarded the win, improving his record to 2-0. Holly was one of four relief pitchers – including Sean Youngerman, Lucien Wechsberg and Zach Yates, that pitched five scoreless innings, giving up just two hits, striking out six and allowing just one walk. Yates, who pitched the ninth, was credited with the save after retiring the side in order.

Chase Goddard took the mound for the Warriors in the second game, which was slated as a seven-inning affair. Goddard, now 5-1, claimed the win by pitching six innings while allowing two runs on seven hits. He struck out three and walked one.

Gabe Arteaga collected his fourth save of the year by pitching in the top of the seventh. Westmont took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Haw led off the inning with a single to left, then stole second. With two outs, DeSaegher knocked an RBIsingle into left field. The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth, which began with a lead-off double by DeSaegher to left center. The Warriors third baseman reached third on a ground out by David Martinez. Then, Hofstadler picked up his fifth RBI of the day and seventh of the series with a single to right.

Later in the inning, Michael Soper produced his first collegiate home run – a nodoubter to right field – that drove in Liam Critchett and Trey Dunn and put the Warriors on top 5-0.

Vanguard closed the gap in the top of the fifth with a two-run blast by Downtain to right field, making the score 5-2. It was a score that would be carried into the seventh and final inning.

With Arteaga on in relief, the Lions loaded the bases with no outs. That brought up Stevens, who hit a ground ball to third. DeSaegher fielded the ball, stepped on third base, and fired across the diamond to first for a double play. Famolaro scored on the play, accounting for the 5-3 final score.

Arteaga then coaxed Diaz to ground out to third for the final out that completed the sweep.

The Warriors will have a bye in conference play next week and will instead welcome the Flames of Bethesda to Russ Carr Field for a three-game series. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday and the series finally on Saturday.

Ron Smith is the sports information director at Westmont College.

ON THE STAT SHEET

• Ager worked his longest collegiate outing Saturday evening, pitching 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and no walks while striking out eight

• Gaucho pitchers did not give out any free passes — walks or hit batters — Saturday; they now have not walked a batter in their last 26 innings of work.

• Christian Kirtley continued his good run at the plate on Saturday, going 1-2 with a walk and a homer; he is 6-15 with two home runs and four walks in his last five games after starting the season 4-32.

• Carter Benbrook picked up his second save of the season, allowing just one hit over the final 1 1/3 innings Saturday evening, striking out a pair.

UP NEXT

UCSB will go for the series sweep against CSU Bakersfield on Sunday, with first pitch currently scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Some rain is in the forecast for Sunday, which may affect the start time of the game. Stay tuned to ucsbgauchos.com and the team’s social media accounts for updates.

Eric Boose is assistant director of athletic communications at UCSB. email: sports@newspress.com