Matt Wilkerson has company atop UCSB’s career home run list, and the Gauchos are alone in first place in the Big West.
Broc Mortensen launched his 42nd homer as a Gaucho Saturday, and 11th this season, in a 4-2 win over Cal Poly at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
The win clinches the Blue-Green rivalry home series with the Mustangs — and coupled with Cal State Fullerton’s loss to Long Beach State Saturday, puts the Gauchos atop the Big West by themselves in the conference with four games left to play.
Mortensen’s solo shot was the team’s fourth and final run, and it came in the fourth inning, giving UCSB a 4-1 lead at the time. The Mustangs scored one more run in the fifth.
Wilkerson set the school homer record in 2006.
UCSB and Cal Poly play again Sunday, starting at 1:05 p.m., in what will be the Gauchos’ last regular season home game. They lead this rivalry series 2-0.
UCSB closes the regular season with a three-game series at Hawai’i Thursday through Sunday. The Gauchos are 18-8 in the Big West, a .692 win percentage. UC San Diego is in second place now by points, at .690 with a 20-9 conference record, and Fullerton is in third at .654 and 17-9. The Tritons beat UC Riverside Saturday.
Mortensen was not the only Gaucho hitter to leave the yard on Saturday. Zander Darby got the scoring started with an opposite-field solo shot in the first inning, just over the wall and just inside the foul pole down the left field line.
Santa Barbara tacked two more runs on the board in the second inning, thanks to some small ball. With John Newman, Jr. on second and two outs, Nick Oakley smacked a grounder to Cal Poly’s first baseman, who made a great play to glove it, but Oakley hustled down the line, forcing a quick throw, which the pitcher could not handle as he covered first base. Not only was Oakley safe, but the ball rolled away into the Mustangs’ dugout, allowing Newman, who had advanced to third on the play, to come home and Oakley to take second. Corey Nunez lined a base hit back up the middle to plate Oakley from second and make it 3-0 Gauchos.
On the mound, Mike Gutierrez was solid through his three innings of work, allowing just an unearned run in the top of the third, while tallying four strikeouts. The only hit he allowed was a double, which would come around to score in that third inning on a throwing error which would have made the third out.
Tyler Bremner relieved Gutierrez to start the fourth and was excellent, working 4 2/3 innings and earning the win. He allowed just three hits and only one run on a fifth-inning solo home run. The freshman righty struck out six Mustangs and walked only one.
He had also been pitching with extra insurance, thanks to Mortensen. The redshirt senior, playing his penultimate game at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, got all of a two-strike pitch to lead off the fourth inning, sending it well over the right field wall for his 11th home run of the season.
With the score still at 4-2 in the top of the eighth, Hudson Barrett relieved Bremner with two outs and runners on first and second, promptly stranding them there. The freshman lefty was back out for the ninth and collected his sixth save of the season, allowing just one walk before striking out the final batter of the game.
Mortensen beat Wilkerson’s record in 49 fewer games, 167 to 216. Mortensen has averaged a homer just a hair less than every four games as a Gaucho.
Bremner earned his fifth win of the season in relief, working 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one earned run on three hits and one walk, while striking out six Mustangs.
The Gauchos go for the series sweep on Sunday, on Senior Day. The game will be live on ESPN+ with live stats and an audio broadcast available on ucsbgauchos.com.
UCSB is now 35-16 overall.