The UCSB baseball team dominated on both sides of the mound, leaving no room for a comeback Sunday afternoon as the Gauchos crushed Long Beach State 10-1 to secure the series sweep over their Big West Rival.
With the win, UCSB improves to 27-9 overall and continues leading the Big West Conference with a 16-2 record.
Long Beach State fell to 15-23 with a 5-10 conference record.
All weekend, the Gauchos were led by a dominant pitching staff. On Sunday, it was freshman right-hander Ryan Gallagher who turned in a strong start, pitching 5.2 innings while surrendering just three hits and no earned runs despite walking four batters. He also struck out nine.
“I felt like I was changing speeds pretty well today,” Gallagher told Noozhawk after the game.
“They were working pretty deep into counts. I was getting ahead early and then kind of missed with some, but I think changing speeds was the biggest part and being able to lay in my breaking stuff, too.”
In this series, UCSB allowed just five combined runs. Gaucho starters Cory Lewis, Mikey Guttierez, and Gallagher combined to pitch 19.1 innings, allowing just seven hits and three earned runs while striking out 23 LBSU batters.
“I would love to shout-out Cory Lewis and Mikey Guttierez,” Gallagher said. “They both shoved this weekend, and really just was a momentum builder, I believe,” Gallagher said.
“It’s really contagious when the starter goes out there and just shoves, so I think the staff really came out well and the bullpen really just kept it going.”
But the offense was a force to be reckoned with as well. After scoring 14 runs on Friday and three runs on Saturday — just enough to win — the Gauchos rang up another 10 on the board Sunday, registering 10 hits.
The Big West leaders in home runs this season, UCSB also hit three homers on Sunday, adding to their league-best 49.
Sophomore center fielder Nick Vogt had the best day at the plate for the Gauchos, going 3-for-4 with a solo shot in the third that gave his team a 6-0 lead.
Vogt leads the Gauchos in hitting, sporting a .320 average after Sunday’s game. Over the last 10 games, the Woodland native has been seeing the ball particularly well, registering a hit in every single one of them while batting .380 with 10 runs batted in.
“I’ve just been more offensive in life and in baseball,” Vogt said.
“Before I was pretty defensive. I was just trying to hit pitches instead of trying to hit pitches with intent so if I keep hitting the ball and swinging hard and trying to do damage then good things happen.”
His home run on Sunday was the fourth of the season, and his first in nearly a month.
“It’s special and it’s cool,” Vogt said.
“You only get so many, so you try to get as many as you can. I’m trying to get them as often as I can.
“… But there’s a difference between intent and doing too much. I’ve struggled with it before, trying too hard, and that’s just as bad as not doing enough, so you got to find the happy medium.”
As on Friday, the Gauchos wasted no time in getting ahead of the Dirtbags. With runners on the corner in the second inning, UCSB once again showed its prowess at driving runs home despite having two outs.
First, Jordan Sprinkle doubled down the right field line to drive in one run, and then a wild pitch brought in another. Sophomore Nick Oakley then singled to drive in another run, making the score 3-0.
The inning was then capped off by a two-run shot from junior Blake Klassen to give the home team a 5-0 head start after two innings.
“It’s awesome to get ahead so early,” Gallagher said. “Our offensive is doing great recently. It really lets you calm down, relax and go attack when you offense has your back.”
After Vogt homered in the third, the Gauchos would score another run on a wild pitch to take a 7-0 lead after three innings.
In the bottom of the fifth, sophomore Christian Kirtley singled to kickstart the frame and was then brought home by the next batter, Kyle Johnson, who homered to left field to give his team a 9-0 lead. The Gauchos would score again in the sixth, an RBI single from Kirtley, to round out their scoring.
The Dirtbags’ only run came in the ninth inning, as an error by the second baseman, Oakley, would allow the runner to score from third. Long Beach State would fly out on the next at-bat to end the contest.
Asked about what it’s like being the Sunday pitcher — in many cases this season going for a chance to secure the sweep — Gallagher said, “it’s fun.”
“There’s definitely a lot of pressure, because either you’re going for the sweep, you’re going to win series, or you’re going not to get swept, so you definitely gotta go out there and just work with what you got that day,” Gallagher said.
“Not every day is gonna be your best, but you have to be able to compete with what you got and really what helps give your team a chance to win.”
UCSB will travel to face USC on Tuesday, but after that comes one of the most anticipated series of the Big West season this year, as the Gauchos will travel to face Blue-Green Rival Cal Poly.
So far, the Mustangs are second in the Big West, sporting a Big West record of 11-4.
“I’ve been looking forward to that all year,” Vogt said. “So I’m excited.”
“It’s going to be a good one. It’s going to be really competitive. They’re a good team, and I am looking forward to it,” Gallagher added.