Mike Klan
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (28-13, 13-10 Big West) cracked two more home runs Saturday afternoon, with a solo shot from Xavier Esquer proving to be the game-winning hit as the Gauchos defeated UC San Diego (21-20, 10-10 Big West), 7-6, evening their three-game series. Nate Vargas also homered, his second in as many games, to help Santa Barbara restore a game-and-a-half lead over the Tritons for fourth place in The Big West standings.
HOW IT HAPPENEDThe Gauchos were first to score on Saturday, launching an early barrage in the form of a six-run second inning. After Jack Holman worked a one-out walk, Rowan Kelly, Isaac Kim, Corey Nunez and Esquer all hit consecutive singles, with Nunez’s driving home a pair of runs and Esquer’s plating another. After a flyout, Vargas doubled Santa Barbara’s tally with a three-run home run out to right field, making it 6-0.
That six-run cushion proved necessary over the next four innings though. The Tritons got one run back in the bottom of the second with a solo home run, then four more with a grand slam in the bottom of the third. To add insult to injury, the grand slam came after the Gauchos had left the bases loaded in the top half of the inning.
Starter Calvin Proskey bounced back in the bottom of the fourth, allowing just an infield single and keeping Santa Barbara in front. However, an error with two outs and two on in the bottom of the fifth brought home the game-tying run. Esquer, the man who committed the error, came to bat in the top of the sixth and immediately redeemed himself, launching a no-doubt home run to left field to restore the Gauchos’ lead, 7-6.
Van Froling took over on the mound for the bottom of the sixth and went to work shutting down the Triton offense. He struck out a pair in the sixth, then set the side down in order in the seventh, picking up another K in the process. In the eighth, he issued his fourth strikeout of the afternoon to deal with a two-out walk. The lefty’s good work earned him the opportunity to return for the ninth, but after allowing the first man to reach, his day was done and Cole Tryba came on to close the game. The sophomore got a double play to wipe out that lead-off man on and put the Gauchos an out away from evening the series. Tryba struck out the next batter on three pitches to wrap up the result.
BY THE NUMBERSWith his home run on Saturday, Vargas joins LeTrey McCollum, Jonathan Mendez, Holman and Kim on the list of Gauchos to homer in consecutive games. This is the first time that Gauchos have joined that club on back-to-back days, with McCollum accomplishing the feat on Monday and Friday.Vargas’ three-run home run also gives him the team lead in homers this season, with eight. Thanks to it being of the three-run variety, he also takes the team lead in RBIs, with 34. Esquer is right behind him, with 33.Saturday’s victory was a crucial one in Santa Barbara’s pursuit of a spot in The Big West Championship, which only the top five teams in the standings earn. The Gauchos are currently in fourth, with 13 conference wins and seven games left to play. Last season, 17 wins was enough to make the top five, while the top four all had 20 or more.Santa Barbara’s six-run second inning was the Gauchos’ first six-run frame since March 1, when they put up six in the opening inning against Fresno State; they did that without the benefit of a home run.With an opposite-field single in the top of the fourth, McCollum extended his on-base streak to 37 games, now nine away from setting a new program-best mark.
UP NEXTSanta Barbara returns to Triton Ballpark for the rubber match in this three-game series on Sunday, April 27 at 1 p.m. Reigning Big West and NCWBA Pitcher of the Week Jackson Flora is set to start for the Gauchos, and fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ or with the live stats and audio broadcast available through ucsbgauchos.com.
(Article courtesy UCSB Athletics).
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