UC Santa Barbara Claims Cal Poly Series With 7-3 Victory

Sunday, April 19

Santa Barbara, CA

1 pm

16-20, 5-4

UC Santa Barbara

28-9, 6-3

Cal Poly

UCSB

UC Santa Barbara Claims Cal Poly Series With 7-3 Victory

4/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Junior southpaw Domenic Mazza scattered five hits over eight innings and first baseman Robby Nesovic knocked in a pair of runs with four singles as No. 9 UC Santa Barbara clinched its three-game Big West Conference baseball series against Cal Poly with a 7-3 victory Sunday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.

The Gauchos moved into a second-place tie with Cal State Fullerton at 6-3 and are 28-9 for the season. Coach Larry Lee's Mustangs fell into fifth place with a 5-4 Big West mark and are 16-20 for the year.

After UC Santa Barbara scored in the first inning on Nesovic's first run-scoring single, Cal Poly knotted the score at 1-1 on an RBI double by Mark Mathias in the third frame.

The Gauchos grabbed command of the game with three runs in the bottom of the third. Clay Fisher drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI and Campbell Wear's pop-up to Mathias at second base was lost in the sun and wind for a two-run single.

The Gauchos added another run in the fourth on Nesovic's second RBI single for a 5-1 lead.

Cal Poly's final major scoring threat came in the fifth when the Mustangs loaded the bases with nobody out. Brian Mundell popped up to third base and, after pinch-hitter Kevin Morgan grounded out to first base for an RBI, Brett Barbier flied out to center field to end the inning.

UC Santa Barbara scored its final two runs in the sixth on a double by Peter Maris and a single by Cameron Newell.

Cal Poly tallied a run in the ninth on Josh George's (pictured above) pinch-hit RBI single to right-center field.

The Gauchos outhit Cal Poly 14-8 and had other scoring chances, but stranded 12 runners on the basepaths.

Newell had three hits and Fisher and Calica each produced two hits for the Gauchos.
Mathias and Schuknecht each had two of Cal Poly's eight hits.

Freshman right-hander Erich Uelmen, making his first collegiate start and Cal Poly's fourth Sunday starter this year, secured just four outs, allowing one run and three hits. Taylor Chris (1-1) suffered the loss, giving up four runs and three hits in 2 1/3 innings. Michael Gomez, Slater Lee and Cameron Cotton also pitched for the Mustangs.

In Sunday games Cal Poly is 2-7 with a 6.87 staff ERA.

Mazza (5-0), starting in place of Dilllon Tate (injured trapezius muscle), gave up two runs and five hits in eight innings with five walks and eight strikeouts. UC Santa Barbara has won all seven games in which Mazza has started this season, including twice against USC.

Cal Poly visits Santa Clara on Tuesday night, then will play its next six Big West games at home starting Friday night with the first of three games against Long Beach State. The Mustangs also will host CSUN the following weekend.