Cal Poly Edged by UC Santa Barbara in Series-Deciding Pitcher's Duel

Friday, April 3

San Luis Obispo, CA

6:05 PM

17-12, 10-4

UC Santa Barbara

18-10, 7-4

UC Santa Barbara

Cal Poly

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Cal Poly Edged by UC Santa Barbara in Series-Deciding Pitcher's Duel

4/3/2026 11:15:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The renewal of the annual Blue-Green Rivalry baseball series this weekend was a matchup between the No. 1 offense in the Big West (Cal Poly with its .301 batting average) versus the No. 2 pitching staff in the conference (UC Santa Barbara with its 2.89 ERA).

Allowing just two runs and nine hits in the first two games of the rivalry, UC Santa Barbara clinched the Big West series at Baggett Stadium on Friday night with a come-from-behind 4-2 victory.

The host Mustangs scored single runs in the third and fifth innings and Corden Pettey did not allow an earned run over six innings of work on the mound, but the visiting Gauchos scored four unanswered runs in the sixth through eighth frames to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Cal Poly falls to 17-12 overall with its fifth loss in eight games and 10-4 for second place in the Big West standings. UC Santa Barbara improved to 18-10 and 7-4 for third place. UC San Diego's lead over Cal Poly remains at a half-game as the Tritons (13-14 overall, 9-2 Big West) fell to Hawai'i 6-3.

Pettey struck out five and walked two, scattering four hits, and left the game with Cal Poly in front 2-1. Chris Downs (2-1) and Josh Morano, two of Cal Poly's top relievers, could not hold the lead, however, as UC Santa Barbara gained the upper hand with two runs in the seventh and an insurance run in the eighth.

Cal Poly led 1-0 in the third inning as Gavin Spiridonoff was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a sacrifice bunt, a fielding error and Alejandro Garza's RBI single to shallow right field. The Mustangs made it 2-0 in the fifth as Jake Downing singled with one out, took second on a groundout and came home on Garza's run-scoring double off the left-field wall.

A sacrifice fly by Ryan Severns cut Cal Poly's lead to 2-1 in the sixth and back-to-back sacrifice flies by Severns and Rowan Kelly in the seventh gave the Gauchos the lead at 3-2.

Liam Barrett's fielder's choice on a grounder wide of third base cashed in the insurance run in the eighth.

Cole Tryba (2-2), who relieved Gaucho starter Nathan Aceves in the sixth inning, struck out seven Mustangs over the final 3 2/3 innings for the victory, allowing one hit and nothing else. His last five outs were strikeouts.

Garza led Cal Poly offensively with a single and double for two RBIs. UCSB's seven hits included two singles by Nick Husovsky and a double by Severns.

Two Gaucho baserunners were thrown out at the plate in the game.

In the fifth inning, Noah Karliner tried to score from first base on the double by Severns, but left fielder Dante Vachini and shortstop Nate Castellon made strong throws to catcher Ryan Tayman to get the inning-ending out. And in the next frame, Husovsky tagged up at third when Nico Libed flied out to right field and Garza relayed the throw from Cam Hoiland to Tayman for an inning-ending double play.

Cal Poly won 11 straight games against UC Santa Barbara from 2016-19 but the Mustangs have lost 16 of their last 21 meetings versus the Gauchos with Friday's setback.

First pitch of the final game of the series Saturday is set for 1:05 p.m. with Cal Poly redshirt junior right-hander Carson Turnquist (2-0, 2.89 ERA) matching up against UC Santa Barbara senior right-hander Kellen Montgomery (4-2, 3.65 ERA).