UCSB Beats Cal Poly With Late Home Run, 7-4

Saturday, April 9

Santa Barbara, CA

4 pm

11-15, 3-2

UC Santa Barbara

13-12, 1-1

Cal Poly

UC Santa Barbara

UCSB Beats Cal Poly With Late Home Run, 7-4

4/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Left fielder Joe Wallace hit a wind-aided three-run home run to right-center field in the eighth inning to shatter a 4-4 tie as UC Santa Barbara defeated Cal Poly 7-4 in the middle game of a three-game Big West Conference series Saturday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.

The Gauchos evened the series at a game apiece and moved to 13-12 for the season and 1-1 in Big West games. Cal Poly fell to 11-15 and 3-2.

Cal Poly led 4-2 midway through the contest, but surrendered two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and the game-winning blow in the eighth. The Mustangs squandered numerous scoring opportunities in the final six innings of the game, stranding 10 runners on base – nine in scoring position.

Junior center fielder Bobby Crocker, who had a 10-game hitting streak snapped Friday, bounced back with two hits Saturday. Senior first baseman J.J. Thompson (pictured above) also singled twice but Cal Poly was outhit by the Gauchos for the second straight day, 10-8.

Right fielder Mark Haddow produced an RBI double and a solo home run for UCSB. Catcher Joe Winterburn also had two hits.

Bryce Uhrig (1-0), the fourth of five Gaucho pitchers used in the game, earned the win by pitching a scoreless eighth inning. Nick Loredo earned his fourth save despite giving up a hit and hitting a batter in the ninth.

The loss went to Mustang senior southpaw Frankie Reed (0-2), who secured the first eight outs of a three-inning stint without giving up a run and struck out five before surrendering the three-run home run to Wallace.

Cal Poly senior right-hander Steven Fischback allowed four runs and six hits in five innings with one walk and three strikeouts, leaving the game in a 4-4 tie. Gaucho starter Greg Davis, who missed his last start with a scratched cornea last weekend, gave up four runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings with five walks and a pair of strikeouts.

After the Gauchos scored a run in the first inning, Cal Poly tied the game in the fourth on a wild pitch with the bases loaded.

The Mustangs scored three times in the fifth for a 4-2 lead. Crocker grounded into a double play which forced in a run, tying the game at 2-2, and junior shortstop Mike Miller and senior designated hitter DJ Gentile followed with back-to-back RBI singles.

Derek Eligio tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth with his first home run, a two-run wind-aided shot to center field. Wallace broke the tie with his three-run blast into a 25-30-miles-per-hour wind blowing out to right field.

Cal Poly loaded the bases in the eighth, but freshman left fielder Jimmy Allen hit into an inning-ending double play. The first two Mustang batters in the ninth inning also reached base, but two grounders and a strikeout ended the game.

Haddow and Wallace both hit their third home runs of the season. UC Santa Barbara had hit six home runs all season until adding three to its total Saturday.

Final game of the series will be played Sunday afternoon at 1 o'clock with Cal Poly freshman right-hander Chase Johnson (0-2, 3.66 ERA) to face UC Santa Barbara junior right-hander Matt Vedo (3-4, 5.02 ERA). Vedo came within one out of a no-hitter March 19 against Nevada, giving up a hit with two outs in the ninth inning.

Winner of Sunday's game will win the series and earn a point in the Blue-Green Rivalry series between the schools. The Blue-Green Rivalry is sponsored by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.