One of the best home run hitting teams in the country, the UC Santa Barbara baseball was at it again on Sunday afternoon at UC San Diego.
The Gauchos blasted five long balls to beat Tritons, 11-5, and complete a three-game sweep.
Broc Mortensen continued his pursuit of the Gauchos’ career home run record, Aaron Parker went yard in back-to-back at-bats, Jared Sundstrom launched possibly the longest home run in Triton Ballpark history, and Corey Nunez hit his second long ball in as many games.
The Gauchos got on the board quickly, hitting their first home run of the day just three batters into the game. After Sundstrom reached on a fielder’s choice, Mortensen hit career home run number 40 to make it 2-0.
The Gauchos erupted for four runs in the top of the third. After Ivan Brethowr reached base by getting hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, Parker treated him to a comfortable trot around the bases, hitting his first home run of the day out to left center to make a 4-0 game.
LeTrey McCollum reached on a bunt single and Nunez’s line drive snuck under the left fielder’s glove, allowing McCollum to come around and score. Nunez took second, and would come home on a single from Sundstrom before the inning ended.
UC San Diego got two of those runs back in the bottom of the third against starter JD Callahan. The Gaucho righty stranded Triton runners in the first and second, but a walk and a pair of two-out hits plated two runs for the home team.
Callahan worked a perfect fourth inning before his day was done.
Callahan finished his outing with the Gauchos up 7-2, as Parker had hit his second home run.
UCSB added another run in the top of the fifth on possibly the longest home run ever hit at Triton Ballpark. On the first pitch following a pitching change, Sundstrom crushed a towering fly ball that hit the light rail tracks behind left field, which are about 50 feet beyond the fence and elevated about two stories above the ground.
The home run, which bounced off of a passing trolley, traveled an estimated 470 feet.
Reed Moring took the mound for the bottom of the fifth and allowed a run on a sacrifice fly. He then worked a perfect sixth inning and worked around a one-out double in the seventh.
The scoring resumed for both teams in the eighth inning, starting with a two-run frame for Santa Barbara. After Christian Kirtley earned a lead-off walk, Brethowr drove him home with a double, then Jonah Sebring singled into left field to bring home Brethowr and make it 10-3.
The Tritons got a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, but Nunez got that run back on the first pitch of the ninth. UCSB’s shortstop, who had only hit his first career homer a day earlier, launched career long ball number two over the fence in right center field.
Moring induced a pop-up for the first out in the ninth, but that would be his last batter of the day. Frank Camarillo came in and faced three Tritons, surrendering a run. Carter Benbrook took over to record the final two outs.
Mortensen became one of just three players to hit 40 career home runs in a Gaucho uniform. He is now two away from tying the program’s career record set by Matt Wilkerson, from 2002-2005.
The Gauchos return home to Caesar Uyesaka Stadium for their next series, welcoming UC Davis to town for a three-game set next weekend, April 28-30. receive free admission to all Saturday and Sunday home games this baseball season