No. 17 Cal Poly Falls to UC Santa Barbara 4-2 in Opener of Big West Series

Friday, April 5

Santa Barbara, CA

3 pm

20-7, 3-1

UC Santa Barbara

15-13, 2-2

Cal Poly

UC Santa Barbara

No. 17 Cal Poly Falls to UC Santa Barbara 4-2 in Opener of Big West Series

4/5/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Sophomore right-hander Austin Pettibone allowed six hits in eight-plus innings and UC Santa Barbara scored two runs in an unusual seventh inning en route to a 4-2 victory over No. 17 Cal Poly in the opener of a three-game Big West Conference baseball series Friday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.

Pettibone did not strike out a Mustang and walked one, giving up two earned runs for his fourth win of the season. He surrendered a leadoff single to Nick Torres in the ninth, but freshman right-hander Dylan Hecht earned his third save by striking out three consecutive Mustang batters.

With the win, UC Santa Barbara improved to 15-13 for the year and 2-2 in Big West games. Cal Poly, which beat the Gauchos twice in a three-game non-conference series two weeks ago, fell to 20-7 and 3-1.

After three scoreless innings, Cal Poly scored the first run of the game in the fourth on a two-out solo home run off the right-field foul pole by David Armendariz, his sixth career round-tripper and stretching his hitting streak to seven games.

UC Santa Barbara answered quickly with a run in the bottom of the fourth on Luke Swenson's bad-hop RBI single over first base and into right field and took a 2-1 lead with an unearned run in the sixth on Jackson Morrow's run-scoring single up the middle.

Leading by a run in the seventh, the Gauchos loaded the bases with nobody out. Robby Nesovic grounded into a force play at second base, which would have scored a run, but Brandon Trinkwon was called out for interference at second base, a double play was called and the Gaucho runners were sent back to second and third.

Mustang closer Reed Reilly was one pitch away from getting out of the inning when the runners at second and third pulled off a double steal for a run. Tyler Kuresa then singled up the middle on a 1-2 pitch to drive in another run and a 4-1 UCSB lead.

Cal Poly got one run back in the eighth as shortstop Peter Van Gansen singled and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by left fielder Jordan Ellis, but the Mustangs could not generate any more offense the rest of the way.

All 12 Gaucho hits in the game were singles, including three by Kuresa and two each by Trinkwon and Ryan Clark.

Ellis (pictured above) collected two of Cal Poly's six hits. The home run by Armendariz, his first of the year, was the lone extra-base hit of the game.

The loss went to Mustang senior right-hander Joey Wagman (6-2) as he allowed four runs (three earned) and a season-high 11 hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Two weeks earlier, Wagman pitched seven scoreless innings, struck out 11 and combined with two relievers on a two-hit 7-0 shutout against the Gauchos in Baggett Stadium.

The loss dropped Cal Poly into a tie for second place in the Big West with UC Riverside, both 3-1. The Highlanders fell 5-3 at Cal State Northridge on Friday. First-place Cal State Fullerton moved to 4-0 with a 3-0 victory at UC Davis.

Second game of the series will be played Saturday at 2 p.m. with sophomore southpaw Matt Imhof (3-0, 1.33 ERA) on the mound for Cal Poly against UC Santa Barbara freshman left-hander Justin Jacome (2-2, 4.17 ERA).