May 12, 2012
Goleta, Calif. - Matthew Vedo and Greg Mahle combined for 4.2 innings of 2-hit shutout relief and Marc Venning delivered a pivotal sixth-inning double Saturday afternoon to lead UC Santa Barbara to a 7-1 Big West Conference victory over No. 8-ranked Cal State Fullerton.
The Gauchos (24-23, 10-10) evened the series at 1-1 while snapping a 4-game losing streak this season and a 6-gamer dating to 2010 to Fullerton (31-15, 13-4).
Freshman Kenny Mathews (5-1) suffered his first collegiate loss, charged with 3 runs in 5+ innings.He got 21 runs of support in his last start but this time the Titans left 13 men on base, 10 in scoring position.
The Titans managed only 5 hits but UCSB starter Andrew Vasquez walked 6 and hit 2 in 4.1 innings of work.Ivory Thomas had the only Titan RBI with a walk after Vasquez loaded the bases in the fourth with two hit batters and a walk.
Carlos Lopez was the only Titan with 2 hits but Anthony Hutting reached base four times on three walks and a hit by pitch.
Venning's RBI double off reliever Dimitri DeLaFuente made it a 3-1 game. Venning came home on a double by Joey Wallace that made it 4-1. Lance Roenicke hit a 2-run homer off DeLaFuente in the seventh and the Gauchos added a run against Jose Cardona in the eighth.
UCSB scored first in the third. Mahle singled, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Brett Vertigan's 2-out single. After the Titans tied it in the top of the fourth, the Gauchos regained the lead in the bottom half. A single by Brandon Trinkwon was followed by Matthews' only walk and a hit batter and Mahle delivered a sacrifice fly for a 2-1 lead.
The Titans retained their 2-game lead in the Big West as Long Beach State lost at UC Davis, 5-0.
Sunday's series decider will match Fulllerton's Grahamm Wiest (4-3) against UCSB's Zak Edgington (2-4).