UCSB Baseball dropped a back-and-forth Austin Regional Final to the University of Texas by a score of 6-4 on Sunday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
The Gauchos’ season came to an end with the loss, as they were unable to complete the daunting task of surviving the regional tournament elimination bracket. Texas will advance to a super regional next weekend.
After UCSB starter and Dos Pueblos High alum Kellan Montgomery tossed a scoreless top of the first, Rowan Kelly got the scoring started in the bottom half with a solo bomb to give the Gauchos a 1-0 lead.
The 420-foot long ball was Kelly’s third of the Austin Regional tournament.
Montgomery and Texas starter Ruger Riojas settled then settled in, as the 1-0 UCSB advantage held until the top of the sixth inning, when the Longhorn offense finally broke through.
In fact, Texas grabbed its first lead of the day, courtesy of an RBI sacrifice fly by Adrian Rodriguez and an Ethan Mendoza run-scoring single to make it a 2-1 ballgame.
Montgomery ended his day with two earned runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings pitched.
The Gauchos regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a pair of Longhorn miscues on the same play. After William Vasseur dropped down a bunt, Texas pitcher Haiden Leffew gathered the ball and fired it past the first baseman and into the outfield to allow a run to score.
The throw in from right field was also errant, allowing another runner to cross the plate and give UCSB a 3-2 lead.
However, the Longhorn offensive attack stayed hot, scoring two runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pull away for a 6-3 advantage.
The Gauchos crept back into the game and cut the deficit to 6-4 in the bottom of the eighth on a run-scoring single off the bat of Vasseur.
After an empty top of the ninth for Texas, UCSB had one final shot with its season on the line in the ninth.
The Gauchos rallied and loaded the bases with two outs and Kelly at the plate, but he popped up to shortstop to give the Longhorns the win and end the UCSB season.
UCSB ends its season with an overall record of 40-20, marking the second 40-win season in the last three years for the program.