Box Score SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— No. 5 UCSB Baseball picked up its 40th win of the season Sunday afternoon sweeping UC Riverside with a 14-2 win. The Big West Champs have now had three-straight 40-win seasons and they did so this year on Senior Day, the final regaular season game at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
UCSB now boasts a 40-12 overall record with a 24-3 Big West mark.
On the Stat Sheet
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Freshman Ryan Gallagher (7-0) earned the start and tossed six full innings. He only gave up three hits and two runs while striking out three.
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Christian Kirtley and Bryce Willits continued their on-base streak to 40 and 38 straight games. Kirtley ended the game going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Willits had a hit, a run, and an RBI.
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Stolen bases were a plenty this Sunday. Mason Eng, Nick Vogt, Newman Jr. and Willits each had one. Jordan Sprinkle, Jason Willow, Broc Mortensen all had two for a total of 10.
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Willow had a double and a run. Sprinkle went 3-for-4 with a run, a triple, and four RBI. Vogt collected a hit, a RBI, and two runs. Mortensen racked up two hits, two runs, three RBI, and a double.
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Eng also hit his first home run of his career at UCSB. He later ended the game with another run and hit.
How It Happened
- There was no stopping UCSB as they scored for four innings straight. Starting in the first, the Gauchos posted a four-spot. A single down the middle by Vogt brought Willits home to score the first run of the game. The bases then became loaded after Mortensen reached on a fielder's choice and Newman Jr. walked, and Sprinkle's single to the gap in center brought home Mortensen and Vogt. Newman Jr. then scored on an error, and Sprinkle stole second and third base.
- The next frame was no different as the chos scored another two runs. Eng singled down left and took off to steal second, his first second stolen base of this season and the second in his career. Eng later scored on an RBI single by Kirtley. The second run of the inning came from Johnson who walked and scored on Mortensen's single to make it a 6-0 game.
- UC Riverside responded with a single run at the top of the third.
- The hits just kept coming as Willits singled down right field to bring home Willow and extend the lead to 7-1.
- The base burglaries continued onto the bottom of the fourth as Mortensen stole second and third, Newman Jr. stole second, and Sprinkle's RBI triple brought them both home. Eng then hit his first career home run, bringing the crowd to its feet on the lazer over the left field wall.
- The Highlanders gained another run at the top of the sixth, but that would be their final run of the weekend.
- Action did not stop in the seventh as the bases became loaded, and Mortensen doubled to center and brought home Zander Darby and Vogt. The Gauchos scored a third run after Bloom grounded out to shortstop to score Jessada Brown and make it a 14-2 ball game.
- Michael Rice, Elliot Gallegos, and Clayton Hall each took an inning out of the pen and kept UCR scoreless and hitless.
NEXT UP
UCSB will now head to Cal State Bakersfield to conclude the regular season before finding out which NCAA Regional the team will attend on Selection Sunday.
