Box Score NORTHRIDGE, Calif.— No. 24 UCSB Baseball (20-8, 9-2) held off CSUN (15-13, 4-7) in game two of its series down at Matador Field to earn the 9-7 win and take the series.
On the Stat Sheet
- Mike Gutierrez (5-1) earned the start and the win for the Gauchos tossing 6.2 innings of work. He allowed four earned on four hits and five walks while striking out six.
- Brady Huddleston entered in the eighth and tossed 1.2 innings to earn the five-out save. The first collegiate save of the freshman's career.
- Jordan Sprinkle was productive hitting in the ninth spot for the Gauchos turning the lineup over with a 2-for-3 performance that included a home run, three RBI, and a walk.
- The hot bat of Bryce Willits picked up a pair of hits, as did Kyle Johnson who had a double and an RBI. Nick Vogt added two RBI of his own.
- Christian Kirtley has now reached base safely in 16 straight games, Willits has in 14, and Johnson extended his hit streak to 10-straight.
How It Happened
- The Gauchos got it going first in game two putting a three-spot up in the top of the second. Nick Vogt got aboard with a leadoff walk and promptly made his way to second on a Matador error. With one out John Newman Jr. stepped in singling up the middle as he has done so many times this season to give UCSB the 1-0 lead. Then it was Sprinkle's turn and the shortstop wasted no time extending the Gaucho lead to 3-0 with a jack over the wall in left field, his third of the year.
- UCSB broke the game wide open in the third as seven of the first eighth batters in the inning reached base safely. Vogt came to the plate with bases-load and no outs and roped a double to right center to score a pair. A Matador error brought another in as Newman Jr. reached and the next batter was Jason Willow who made it a 7-0 ball game with a single through the left side that scored Vogt.
- CSUN scored ts first runs in the game bringing one across in both the third and fourth to cut the lead to 7-2, but Sprinkle got one back in the fifth collecting an RBI single to right field.
- With their backs against the wall the Matadors did what they had to scoring five runs over the next three innings to make it a one-run game at 8-7. With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Huddleston entered the game and got out of the jam as he and Newman Jr. pieced up for the strike'em-out throw'em-out double play to end the inning.
- Johnson lined a double down the opposite field line to score Kirtley in the top of the ninth to conclude the scoring efforts in the game.
- Huddleston went 1-2-3 in the ninth to pick up the save.
Next Up
UCSB Will look to sweep the series at Matador Field tomorrow in game three. First pitch is set for 1 PM in Northridge as Ryan Gallagher is expected to take the bump to start.
