UC Santa Barbara Evens Series Against Cal Poly With 7-3 Victory

Saturday, March 23

Santa Barbara, CA

2 pm

16-5

UC Santa Barbara

12-9

Cal Poly

UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Barbara Evens Series Against Cal Poly With 7-3 Victory

3/23/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Home runs by Steven Fisher, Marc Venning and Brandon Trinkwon lifted UC Santa Barbara to a 7-3 victory over No. 20 Cal Poly in the second game of a three-game non-conference baseball series Saturday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.

Fisher's solo shot in the second inning and Venning's one-run blast in the third frame gave the Gauchos (12-9) a 2-0 lead and Trinkwon belted a two-run shot in the sixth inning to snap a 2-2 tie and give UC Santa Barbara the lead for good.

Cal Poly, which won Friday's series opener in San Luis Obispo, 7-0, fell to 16-5 with Saturday's loss, setting up the rubber game of the series Sunday at 1 o'clock in Baggett Stadium.

UC Santa Barbara hit three home runs in its first 20 games this season and doubled that total Saturday.

After Trinkwon's two-run shot in the sixth, Cal Poly answered with a run in the seventh on a double by freshman left fielder John Schuknecht and an RBI single by freshman shortstop Peter Van Gansen.

But the Gauchos responded with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to break the game open. With the bases loaded, Tyler Kuresa grounded out to first base to knock in a run and Robby Nesovic singled up the middle to drive in two more, giving UC Santa Barbara a 7-3 cushion.

The Gauchos, held to two hits in Friday's shutout, outhit Cal Poly 12-9 Saturday, led by Trinkwon, Nesovic, Venning and catcher Jackson Morrow, each with a pair of hits.

Cal Poly's offensive leaders were senior second baseman Denver Chavez (pictured above) with two singles and a double and junior center fielder David Armendariz with a single and double.

Freshman southpaw Justin Jacome (2-1) earned the win for the Gauchos, allowing three runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings with one walk and four strikeouts.

The loss went to sophomore right-hander Danny Zandona (2-1), the second of four Cal Poly pitchers used in the game. Zandona relieved Mustang starter Matt Imhof in the sixth inning of a 2-2 tie and allowed two runs and three hits in one-third of an inning.

In his fourth no-decision of the year, Imhof allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings with three walks and six strikeouts.

Sophomore right-hander Bryan Granger (3-2, 4.44 ERA) will start for Cal Poly in Sunday's series finale, to be opposed by UC Santa Barbara sophomore southpaw Greg Mahle (3-2, 3.38 ERA).