FULLERTON, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (29-15, 13-12 Big West) came out on the wrong side of a pitchers' duel at Cal State Fullerton (24-21, 15-7 Big West) on Friday night, 3-2. Tyler Bremner pitched six innings of two-run ball and racked up 10 strikeouts in the game, bringing him just three away from setting a new Gaucho Baseball career record for punchouts. LeTrey McCollum also continued chasing a record, extending his on-base streak to 40 games.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
McCollum did not wait around to ensure his streak would keep rolling, hitting a one-out solo home run in the first inning, putting Santa Barbara in front before their hosts had a chance to bat. When the Titans did come to the plate in the bottom of the first, Bremner set them down in order. That half-inning set the tone for the night, as Bremner and his opposite number each set the side down in order again in the second.
 
The Titans got their first baserunners and their first run of the night in the bottom of the third with a single that took a tricky hop in the middle of the Gaucho infield and a double, but Bremner stranded a runner on third to hold them to just the one tally. In the top of the fourth, the Gauchos re-took the lead, with McCollum scoring again. He led off the inning with a single, then a walk and an infield single loaded the bases. With two outs, Rowan Kelly drove McCollum home on another infield single, putting Santa Barbara back on top, 2-1.
 
Bremner got a double play to get through the fourth scoreless, then struck out the side in a scoreless fifth. A lead-off double and two-out single re-tied the game for Fullerton in the sixth, though Bremner picked up two more strikeouts in the frame, his ninth and 10^th of the night.
 
Cole Tryba took over on the mound in the bottom of the seventh and worked a clean frame, then pitched his way out of trouble in the bottom of the eighth. After two hit batters, the lefty got a popped-up bunt then struck out the final two batters of the frame to keep the score tied.
 
The Gauchos had a chance to re-take the lead in the top of the ninth after a single, walk and sacrifice bunt put two runners in scoring position with just one out. After a strikeout, McCollum received an intentional walk to load the bases, but Santa Barbara left them loaded.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, a solo home run decided the game.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• With his 10 strikeouts on Friday night, Bremner now has 272 in his UC Santa Barbara career, making him only the second Gaucho to crack 270. It also puts him two away from tying (and three from breaking) Dan Yokubaitis' record of 274, set between 1983 and 1986.
• With his home run, single and intentional walk, McCollum extends his on-base streak to 40 games, becoming just the second Gaucho to maintain a streak that long. The only man with a longer one is Christian Kirtley, who reached safely in 45 straight games in 2022.
• McCollum is now hitting .404 in Big West games this season, one of two qualified Gauchos with a conference batting average at or above .400. The other is Kelly, who is exactly at the .400 mark.

 
UP NEXT
Friday's loss makes the final two games of this weekend's series between Santa Barbara and Fullerton must-win fixtures for the Gauchos if they are to have any chance of avoiding the play-in game on the first day of The Big West Championship. With five games left to play, the best record Santa Barbara can hope to finish with is 18-12, the worst record Fullerton could finish with is 15-15. If the Gauchos get swept, they would be mathematically eliminated from top-three contention.
 
Must-win game number one is Saturday, May 3's matchup, which is set to begin at 5 p.m. from Goodwin Field. Calvin Proskey is set to take the ball for Santa Barbara, opposed by Jason Krakoski for Fullerton. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ or with an audio only broadcast and live stats available at ucsbgauchos.com.