SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (March 18, 2023) — The UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (14-3, 2-0 Big West) secured their first series win in conference play this season on Saturday, defeating CSU Bakersfield (7-10, 0-2 Big West), 4-2. The win extends the Gauchos' unbeaten run to nine games, and is their 14th consecutive victory over the Roadrunners.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Santa Barbara got off to a great start on the mound and at the plate, with Matt Ager striking out the side in the top of the first before Christian Kirtley drove in a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. A two-out walk put a Gaucho on first, then Kirtley got every bit of a 3-1 breaking ball, hitting a no-doubt, two-run home run over the scoreboard in left field.

Santa Barbara had a chance to add on in the second, with another two-out walk, a hit batter, and an errant pick-off throw putting runners on second and third, but Bakersfield escaped the inning. That throwing error was one of four Roadrunner errors on the night, with a fifth-inning gaffe helping the Gauchos pick up some insurance. With two outs and runner on first, Bakersfield's shortstop misplayed a bouncing grounder, allowing Aaron Parker to reach and extending the inning, with Ivan Brethowr scampering from first to third on the play. After a four-pitch walk loaded the bases, Kirtley worked a walk himself, driving in his third run of the afternoon.

However, Kirtley's walk only made it a 3-1 game because, in the top of the fifth, Bakersfield had finally gotten to Matt Ager. After striking out the side in the first, Ager pitched perfect second and third innings, only giving up his first baserunner on a one-out single in the fourth, which never posed a real threat. A lead-off single in the fifth would come around to score, but Ager was right back in control of the game afterwards, even working around another lead-off single in the sixth. Ager was excellent in the seventh, striking out the first two batters, then making a great play on a grounder in front of the mound to end the inning.

The Gauchos had given their starter some insurance in the bottom of the sixth, with Jared Sundstrom reaching on an infield single, stealing second, and scoring on a LeTrey McCollum single to make it 4-1. Ager would need that insurance as he pitched into the eighth inning for the first time in his career, giving up another lead-off single and then allowing his first extra-base hit of the evening, an RBI double to the right-centerfield gap. Carter Benbrook took over after that, getting out of the inning with one pitch. Benbrook was back out for the ninth inning, striking out the first two Roadrunners before getting a huge hand from his defense. With a runner on first, the Bakersfield batter hit a ball toward shallow right field, only for Brethowr to close the distance and make a diving catch to end the game.

ON THE STAT SHEET
• Matt Ager worked his longest collegiate outing Saturday evening, pitching 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and no walks, while striking out eight
• Gaucho pitchers did not give out any free passes — walks or hit batters — Saturday; they now have not walked a batter in their last 26 innings of work
• Christian Kirtley continued his good run at the plate on Saturday, going 1-2 with a walk and a homer; he is 6-15 with two home runs and four walks in his last five games after starting the season 4-32
• Carter Benbrook picked up his second save of the season, allowing just one hit over the final 1 1/3 innings Saturday evening, striking out a pair

UP NEXT
Santa Barbara will go for the series sweep against CSU Bakersfield on Sunday, with first pitch currently scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Some rain is in the forecast for Sunday, which may affect the start time of the game. Stay tuned to ucsbgauchos.com and the team's social media accounts for updates.