Coming into Friday’s contest against Long Beach State, the UCSB baseball team had never failed to win the opening game of a Big West Conference series.
The Gauchos kept that streak alive Friday night at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium as they routed Long Beach State 14-2 behind another masterful pitching performance from sophomore Cory Lewis and a great hitting night from the entire ensemble.
With the win, Santa Barbara improved to 25-9 overall and hold the Big West lead with a 14-2 record in conference play. Long Beach State fell to 15-21 overall and a 5-8 conference record, as the usual Big West powerhouse continues to struggle through the midpoint of the season.
Known for their power hitting as evidenced by their Big West best 44 home runs, the Gauchos did not hit a ball out of the park in game one against the Beach, instead having good at-bats and working 11 hits and three walks.
“The guy that we beat today is legit,” UCSB coach Andrew Checketts said after the game, referring to Long Beach pitcher Luis Ramirez.
“He’s one of the best pitchers in the conference, one of the better pitchers on the West Coast, and I thought I got a really good job of laying off the stuff when it was down and not chasing them around the edges and forcing him to pitch it over the heart of the plate.”
UCSB did the bulk of its work in the second inning, as the team worked four hits and scored six runs. The Gauchos did all their scoring with two outs, and a big moment came after they amassed a 3-0 lead.
After a Jordan Sprinkle triple, the next Gaucho batters got on base via a hit by pitch and a walk. Junior utility player Christian Kirtley then came up to the plate and delivered, blowing the game open by hitting a first-pitch double to clear the bases and give his team the 6-0 lead.
“My first at-bat, I was expecting a little bit more sliders, and he kind of came right at me with the heater and made me look a little bit bad so I was like, ‘Alright, here we go, he’s coming back with the heater,’” Kirtley said.
“I knew I was hitting that first pitch if he left it up, and he left it up, and thankfully squeaked it down the line for a double.”
Kirtley was 2-for-5 on the night for the Gauchos, bringing in those three runs, and now has 24 RBIs on the season, fourth-most on the team.
Since the beginning of April, Kirtley is batting .354 with 14 RBIs. In five of his last 12 games, he has registered at least two hits.
“I struggled early on in the season,” Kirtley said. “I think I was just kind of rushing, guessing pitches.
“The last couple weeks I’ve just been really early, slow, and whatever pitch comes to me that’s what I want to hit, so no guessing, just using my eyes, using my hands.”
Sprinkle had a great night from the plate as well, going a perfect 3-for-3 including his sole RBI in the second inning.
“I think today I just had the mindset that I was going to do everything hard, no matter the result, and I was in favor of the results today, which is awesome,” Sprinkle said.
“After a game like that, I think it’s about taking the pieces that worked, take the stuff that worked and try and be consistent with that.”
For the season, he’s batting .273 and makes a point of pride that he bats from the nine spot in the lineup.
“I try and tell myself every day I’m going be the best nine-hole hitter in the country, so whether it’s one or nine, it doesn’t matter to me, I’m in the lineup, I’m able to play and I’m grateful for that,” Sprinkle said.
UCSB added another three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a commanding 9-0 lead, and on the other side of the mound, Lewis was once again dealing.
Through the first four innings, Lewis was pitching a perfect game.
“It’s so electric to see that kind of performance,” Sprinkle said.
“He pounds the zone, commands well, has multiple pitches for strikes, and you want that guy as your pitcher.”
Lewis allowed a pair of solo shots to start the fifth frame, but when all was said and done, he kept his perfect record alive, 6-0, after another great performance.
Lewis pitched 7.2 innings, his longest outing of the season, allowing just two hits, one earned run and eight strikeouts. It was also a bounce back for him, as against UC San Diego last weekend, Lewis lasted just four innings, allowing four runs.
“Honestly, I don’t even think I need to go out to defense when he’s on the mound,” Sprinkle said.
“I could sit in the dugout, let him do his work and watch him and I trust him that he’s able to come in and get those guys out. He doesn’t need a defense. That’s how good he is. And that’s how everyone sees him. He’s just a really good pitcher.”
After allowing two runs in the top of the fifth, UCSB did not surrender any more runs, and would score five in the sixth to put the contest out of reach.
“They are a great team and they always played us,” Sprinkle said. “I think today we were on it, we were doing everything right. But, tomorrow, we have to come back, compete at the same level, because they’re gonna come back and they’re gonna be ready to go,” Sprinkle said.
“So I think we have to have the same mindset.”
UCSB will take on Long Beach State for game two of the series at 2 p.m. Saturday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.