Box Score SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Andrew Martinez hit a clutch, game-tying, two-run double to highlight a five-run eighth inning as the No. 8 UC Santa Barbara baseball team rallied from a three-run deficit to top visiting Cal State Bakersfield 6-4 on Tuesday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
UCSB improved to 33-7 overall and 21-1 at home with the win while the future Big West Conference Roadrunners dropped to 19-28.
It was a quiet day offensively from UCSB for much of the afternoon, with Tommy Jew's opposite field home run, and 10th of the season, the only Gaucho run until the eighth.
The Roadrunners hit two home runs of their own to extend their early lead to 4-1, but unraveled in the eighth as UCSB took advantage of a wild bullpen.
Two straight walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Thomas Rowan, who hustled to beat out a potential double-play ball, making it 4-2 with just one out and two runners in scoring position. After an Armani Smith walk, tempers flared and both benches cleared momentarily resulting in a pair of ejections from the CSUB side.
With the Roadrunners third pitcher of the frame coming in, Martinez stepped up and placed a double down the right field line to score two and tie the game. Smith came across for the go-ahead run on a balk call and Marcos Castanon kept the inning alive with a two-out RBI double down the left field line.
With a 6-4 lead, Santa Barbara turned to none other than Chris Lincoln who retired the side in order with two strikeouts for his 11th save of the year.
Kyle Johnson and Castanon both went 2-for-4 to lead the Gauchos at the plate who edged the Roadrunners in hits 7-6.
Jorge Arellano Jr. started the game and went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits while walking three and striking out three. Alex Patterson, Shea Barry, Trevor Beer, Conner Dand and Lincoln all pitched in relief and combined for 10 strikeouts.
UCSB returns to conference play this weekend on the road at CSUN beginning on Friday, May 5 at 3:00 p.m.
