LA JOLLA, Calif. (April 21, 2023) — The UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (23-12, 8-5 Big West) scored a pair of runs in the ninth inning to hand UC San Diego (22-13, 11-5 Big West) their first home conference loss of the season, taking the opening game of a three-game series at Triton Ballpark, 4-2. Jonah Sebring was at the center of the late-inning drama, atoning for his seventh-inning error by stealing home to put the Gauchos back in front for good in the top of the ninth.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Friday started out as a pitchers' duel, with Matt Ager putting up scoreless inning after scoreless inning, while the Triton pitching staff did the same through the first five frames. Ager set the side down in order in the first, then stranded Tritons at second in the next three innings, working around a two-out double in the second and handling a two-on, one-out jam in the fifth. He punctuated his sixth inning of work with a pair of strikeouts, bringing his total up to six on the night.

Even better for Ager, his offense had broken through in their half of the sixth inning, converting on Zander Darby's lead-off single for the first run of the game. Jared Sundstrom singled behind Darby, then Broc Mortensen bunted the runners over to second and third. Christian Kirtley's groundout brought Darby home to break the deadlock. The Gauchos then doubled their lead in the seventh, again starting the inning with back-to-back singles. A two-out wild pitch allowed Aaron Parker to score from third to make it 2-0.

Ager was back out to pitch the bottom of the seventh, but walked the first batter he faced to end his evening. Carter Benbrook relieved the righty, but walked his first batter to put himself in a tough spot. A sacrifice bunt gave the Tritons runners on second and third with just one out, and both those runners were able to score when Sebring mishandled a ground ball. The Gauchos got out of the seventh with the game still tied, and it stayed that way in the eighth thanks to Parker. The catcher erased a one-out single by throwing out the runner trying to take second, then caught another base thief after a two-out double and an intentional walk, ending the inning.

Eager to make up for his error, Sebring led off the top of the ninth with a double, then took third on a dropped third strike to Parker. LeTrey McCollum was intentionally walked, but his speed on the basepaths drew the Tritons' attention — too much attention, as it would turn out. When UC San Diego's pitcher threw over to first, Sebring darted from third, beating the throw home by a good margin and putting Santa Barbara back in front, 3-2. Later in the inning, McCollum advanced to third on a Corey Nunez single, then scored the Gauchos' fourth run when Darby hustled down the line to break up a double play. Tyler Bremner pitched the bottom of the ninth and worked around a lead-off walk to earn his second save of the season.

ON THE STAT SHEET
• Matt Ager worked his seventh quality start in 10 outings Friday night, pitching six-plus innings, allowing just one earned run on three hits and three walks, striking out six Tritons.
• Friday night was the second game in which Aaron Parker has caught multiple base thieves this season; he threw out a pair of Oregon State Beavers back on February 20. Friday was the first time he did it in the same inning.
• Jonah Sebring's steal of home in the ninth inning was the first theft of the plate by a Gaucho this season.
• Corey Nunez led Santa Barbara at the plate Friday, going 2-for-4, the only Gaucho with multiple hits on the evening. Seven different Santa Barbara batters recorded a hit in the game.
• Technically, the Gauchos deployed three different center fielders and four different second basemen on Friday. Pitchers JD Callahan and Frank Camarillo were listed in center and at second, respectively, on the lineup card, but both were replaced before they had to hit or field.

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will look to take the series tomorrow, Saturday, April 22 in game two of this three-game set at UC San Diego. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. in La Jolla, and the game will be live on ESPN+, with live stats and an audio broadcast available through ucsbgauchos.com. Hudson Barrett is set to make his first collegiate start on the mound for Santa Barbara.