UCSB Baseball wrapped up a Big West-opening series sweep of Long Beach State with a 6-2 win on Sunday at Cesar Uyesaka Stadium, extending the Gaucho winning streak to 11 games.
Gaucho senior right-handed pitcher Kellan Montgomery got the start and earned the win against some familiar faces. A Dos Pueblos High alum, Montgomery spent his first three collegiate seasons at Long Beach State before transferring to UCSB for his senior season.
“Just trying to treat it like a normal game,” Montgomery said of the matchup. “Obviously, it was good to see some old friends and all that after the game and just during the weekend, but really just trying to keep it all the same.”
In the two previous games against the Dirtbags, the Gauchos went down 2-0 in the first few innings. Sunday was no different, as UCSB found itself down 2-0 in the top of the fourth.
“Everybody’s well-coached in the league and has enough talent to beat you, so they put a lot of pressure on us early,” UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts said. “[Long Beach] was up 2-0 every game against us, so I thought our guys did a great job of hanging in there, not panicking.”
In the bottom of the fourth, UCSB graduate right fielder Noah Karliner cut the deficit to 2-1 by singling into center field to score graduate first baseman Nick Husovsky and advance to junior shortstop Jonathan Mendez to second.
Senior third baseman William Vasseur and senior catcher Nate Vargas were then hit by a pitch on back-to-back at-bats to even the game at 2-2 heading into the fifth.
Montgomery then settled in after allowing two runs early, striking out a pair of Dirtbags in the top of the fifth. The former Dirtbag ended the day with eight strikeouts over his six innings of work en route to the win.
“No matter how I did, I was just hoping we could get the win and get that sweep, so that’s what we did,” Montgomery said.
In the bottom of the fifth, singles by junior outfielder Colin Beazizo and Husovsky and a walk loaded the bases, and the Gauchos once again took advantage of some wild Long Beach State pitching. Karliner was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home the go-ahead run.
Vasseur then roped a single into right field to score senior Cole Kosciusko to expand the lead to 4-2.
After another scoreless frame by Montgomery, the Gaucho offense added to its lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Senior second baseman Corey Nunez singled, advanced to second on a fielder’s choice and stole third to set up another scoring opportunity. That opportunity came on another Long Beach State miscue, as he scampered home on a wild pitch to go up 5-2.
After a scoreless seventh from lefthanded redshirt junior Chase Hoover, Nunez helped grow the lead to 6-2 in the eighth when he sent a triple to the center field wall and came in to score on a balk.
The Dirtbags kept pushing in the top of the ninth with a pair of walks and a single, but UCSB junior right AJ Krodel finished off the save for the 6-2 win for the home team.
“The defense was good, some really good plays up the middle with Mendez and Nunez there that allowed us to get some stops,” Checketts said. “Bullpen guys did a good job, skin of our teeth there a little bit, too many baserunners there at the end, but in general, good effort from the guys.”
The Gauchos (12-2, 3-0 Big West) will remain at home for their midweek matchup this week, hosting Saint Mary’s on Tuesday, at 4:35 p.m at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
Next weekend, they’ll head north to take on UC Davis in a Big West series.