UC Santa Barbara took two of three games against Cal Poly last year, and after a 13-inning loss to the Gauchos on Sunday, it’s déjà vu all over again.
Looking to keep momentum rolling from last weekend’s series win against UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara took two games against Cal Poly this weekend, giving the Mustangs a loss in their second conference series this season.
The Mustangs had a chance to take two of three games Sunday, but lost in extra innings.
Cal Poly raced out to a two-run lead on a two RBI double by outfielder Jimmy Allen in the second inning, but UC Santa Barbara’s Beck Wheeler scored on a dropped fly ball to make it 2-1 in the third.
The Gauchos then went on to score three more runs in the fourth. UC Santa Barbara’s Joe Wallace doubled to right center to bring home one run and Joe Winterburn score two more with a single to left.
Trailing 4-2, Cal Poly tied the game 4-4 in the eighth. First baseman J.J. Thompson hit a RBI single to left and third baseman Evan Busby brought home one more with a ground out to second base.
The game went into the 13th inning, and with runners on first and second, Wheeler hit a game-winning single up the middle.
In the first game of the series, pitcher Mason Radeke showed UC Santa Barbara just how dominant he could be. After tossing a school Division I record 14-strikeout game against Valparaiso earlier this season, Radeke went seven innings and racked up 13 strikeouts against UC Santa Barbara.
He gave up seven hits and three earned runs, lowering his season ERA to 2.82.
Behind Radeke, the Mustangs scored three runs through the first three innings to take a 3-0 advantage, but with a three-run fourth, the Gauchos tied the game.
In the fifth, DJ Gentile doubled down the left field line to bring home shortstop Mike Miller. Later in the inning, right fielder Mitch Haniger hit a sacrifice fly to center to give the Mustangs a 5-3 lead, and they wouldn’t look back.
Miller and Gentile both went 2 for 4 at the plate with an RBI, while Allen went 2 for 3.
Saturday, one swing of the bat sent Cal Poly home losers.
Relief pitcher Frankie Reed came into the game in the sixth, relieving starter Steven Fischback. Fischback went five innings and allowed four earned runs off six hits.
Reed came in and made his presence known early. He struck out the side in the sixth, and then two more in the seventh.
But in the seventh, with two runners on, Wallace got a hold of a 2-2 pitch and sent it over the center field wall. The Gauchos took a 7-4 lead with that one swing, and wouldn’t let up down the stretch.
The Mustangs had two players record multi-hit games Saturday — center fielder Bobby Crocker and Thompson, who both went 2 for 4.
The Mustangs will return to action next weekend at home against Cal State Northridge, after taking on Santa Clara in a mid-week game on Tuesday. Last season, the Mustangs dropped their first two games against Cal State Northridge before taking the last one 5-3.