Ralph R. Zobell | Posted: 16 Feb 2015 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020

Heartbreaking 5-4 loss to No. 16 Gauchos

main image
Image

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — No. 16 UC Santa Barbara hung onto its ranking and a fourth victory, 5-4, on Monday afternoon over BYU baseball.

The Gauchos (4-0) retained their No. 16 ranking for the second week by Collegiate Baseball magazine, but got a scare in the final game against BYU (0-4).

The Cougars were trailing 5-2 before hanging a pair of runs against four Gaucho pitchers in the seventh inning and stranding the bases loaded.

“Overall, we played a very solid nine innings today and I was very encouraged by our intensity and energy,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “Santa Barbara is a quality team and we are a better team after playing them.”

Trailing 2-0, freshman Colton Shaver scored BYU’s first run when sophomore Brennon Lund chopped a two-out single over the mound in the fifth. A pair of errors enabled Cougar junior Hayden Nielsen to score a second run in the sixth frame, countering the three runs UCSB posted in its previous at bat.

BYU scored Bronson Larsen and Shaver again in the seventh, thanks to an opposite field single by Nielsen, but UCSB got a check-swing strikeout with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Other Cougar highlights were a 4-6-3 double play that got Cougar reliever Brandon Kinser out of a jam in the bottom of seventh. BYU reliever Michael Rucker struck out the final batter in the eight to retire the Gauchos in order for the first time in the game.

“We continue to give up free bases here and there throughout games and every time it comes back to hurt us,” Littlewood said.

The Cougars have a short week as they fly out again, this time to Arizona where they host Nebraska in a four-game series which starts Thursday in Peoria.

File Attachments

Recent Stories

Image
Austin Deming selected in the 10th round and 314th overall by the Houston Astros in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Deming selected by Houston in 10th round of MLB Draft

BYU third baseman Austin Deming was selected by the Houston Astros in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft at Lumen…

Image
Austin Deming 2023 NCBWA All-American
Deming named All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association

BYU third baseman Austin Deming was named Third Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers…