SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (March 17, 2023) — The UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (13-3, 1-0 Big West) started this year's conference slate the same way they ended last year's, defeating CSU Bakersfield (7-9, 0-1 Big West), 5-0, to extend their winning streak against the Roadrunners to 13 games. After Mike Gutierrez worked seven scoreless innings, Zander Darby and Ivan Brethowr each hit massive home runs to turn a 0-0 tie into a comfortable Gaucho lead, and Hudson Barrett locked down the save.

HOW IT HAPPENED
It may seem odd to call a 5-0 game a pitchers' duel, but that is precisely what took place over the first six and a half innings Friday evening. Gutierrez was solid, and the lefty got some big plays from his defense to keep Bakersfield off the board. After a double in the first, a wild pitch enticed the 'Runner on second to dash all the way for home, but catcher Aaron Parker recovered and threw to Gutierrez covering to get the out and end the inning.

In the second, Gutierrez hit a batter with two outs, only to immediately pick him off at first base. In the third, it was Brethowr's turn to make a play, running in from left field and sliding to take away what would have been a bloop single with a runner on base. The fifth inning required the most heroics, as Bakersfield got a runner to third with only one out. Gutierrez induced a pop up to first for the second out, only to watch the next batter smack a full-count pitch back up the middle. The ball took a tricky bounce off the pitching rubber and into the air, but freshman shortstop Corey Nunez gloved it and threw to first in time to get the out and save a run.

As good as Gutierrez and the Gaucho defense were, Roadrunner starter Ryan Verdugo was perfect to start the game. The righty went 5 2/3 innings without allowing a baserunner Friday evening, finally allowing a hit on a LeTrey McCollum grounder that snuck past the second baseman's outstretched glove in the bottom of the sixth. It was the seventh inning before Santa Barbara finally got on the board. Brethowr singled to lead off the inning, and Parker walked behind him, bringing up Zander Darby, who crushed the first pitch he saw 434 feet to right field to break the tie.

Despite a pair of singles chasing Verdugo and a walk loading the bases, the Gauchos would not score again in the seventh, having to wait until the eighth. Barrett relieved Gutierrez and worked a quick, 1-2-3 top of the eighth, and Brethowr did not wait around in the bottom half, blasting his sixth home run of the season to left field, hitting near the top of the light pole.

Two singles put runners on the corners for Josh Williams, who had entered the game at the same time as Barrett, and the redshirt freshman laid down a perfect bunt, past the pitcher but short of the second baseman, allowing a run to score easily while Williams reached first with a single. The scoring ended there, and Barrett worked a perfect ninth inning to finish up his third save of the season.

ON THE STAT SHEET
• The Gauchos are now on an eight-game winning streak, their longest unbeaten run since the end of the 2021 season, when they won their last eight regular-season games plus the opening contest of the NCAA Tucson Regional
• Mike Gutierrez did not allow an earned run for the fourth time in his career on Friday and the fewest hits (3) and total baserunners (5) on the season. His final line was 7.0 innings pitched, zero earned runs on three hits, two hit batters and no walks, while striking out six
• Ivan Brethowr and Zander Darby both recorded singles to go along with their home runs Friday evening, and both came around to score after those base hits
• Friday was Santa Barbara's sixth multi-homer game of the season and twelfth with at least one home run. The Gauchos are 11-1 when hitting at least one home run and 6-0 when hitting two or more

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will continue this series on Saturday at 4:05 p.m., with Matt Ager scheduled to start on the mound for Santa Barbara.