SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - The No. 17 UCSB Baseball team concluded its first season series in tremendous fashion on Sunday afternoon plating 11 runs off just as many hits. After managing just four singles in Saturday's loss, the Gauchos flipped the script with four starters garnering multiple hits. The team's first two home runs of the year came in exciting back-to-back fashion and UCSB followed with an eight-run, six-hit top of the sixth that put the game to rest and permitted a slew of the team's younger crop to see their first collegiate action.

On the Stat Sheet

• Outfielder Nick Vogt capped a remarkable opening series going 4-5 (HR, 2 RBI), bringing his early-season AVG. to .462 

• Christian Kirtley, Kyle Johnson, and Broc Mortenson added two hits and two RBI apiece - after leading the Big West with 15 HR last year, "Morty" hit the team's first this year

• Jason Willow collected a hit and an RBI to push his hitsreak to 10 straight games

• Freshman Ryan Gallagher earned the start tossing 4.1 innings of one-run ball. Michael Rice picked up the win with 2.2 innings of work in relief.

How It Happened

• The offensive avalanche should not overshadow the pitching staff's tremendous effort, punctuated by a poised first collegiate start from Gallagher. The 6' 3" right hander out of Granite Bay, CA worked around a leadoff walk in the first and RBI single in the second to keep the Dons bats in check across the game's first 4.1 innings.
• Gallagher's fastball command allowed his changeup to foil the USF hitters' timing frequently in the early innings. Working with fifth-year catcher Gianni Bloom, the pitch became a viable threat at any point in the count.
• At 81 pitches and 5 K's, Coach Checketts went to the bullpen with one out and one on in the 5th, summoning Michael Rice for his collegiate debut. The sophomore out of Las Vegas - who spent last season and this fall recovering from injury - was excellent. In 48 pitches, Rice was able to get the Gauchos through the 7th inning, surrendering only two hits across four K's and 0 BB and picking up the win. The freshman duo of Michael Splaine and Matt Ager, respectively, then closed out the final two innings.
• After plating a run in the top of the 1st, the Gauchos finally broke through offensively in the 5th. Working the count to 3-2 with one out and no one on against USF starter Sam Beck, Broc Mortenson crushed a ball off the right-field netting. Two pitches later Nick Vogt sent an 0-2 pitch to deep right-center, going back-to-back and forcing Beck from the game.
• Jason Willow led off the top of the 6th, and reaching base off an error by the USF catcher, ensured the floodgates to open. A single by Kyle Johnson, a HBP from Nick Oakley, and RBI BB from pinch hitter John Newman, were followed by RBI singles from Mortenson, Vogt, and Kirtley. The Gauchos batted around the order with Willow and Johnson also adding RBI singles and forced USF to utilize three different relievers to get out of the inning.

Quotable
Head Coach Andrew Checkets on Gallagher: "He did a nice job changing speeds and locating well with his fastball. He got better as the game went along and gave us a competitive start".

Notable

• After collecting a pinch-hit single yesterday, Zander Darby was given his first collegiate start at 3B (0-3, 1 R, 2 BB).

• Freshman Jessada Brown and Aaron Parker also made their collegiate debuts - they entered the game as a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement, respectively, in the ninth.

Next Up
The Gauchos will bus back down to Santa Barbara on Sunday evening and practice on Monday before heading to Loyola Marymount for their first mid-week matchup on Tuesday. First pitch at Page Stadium is set for 6 PM.