Tag: UCSB Gauchos

Around the horn: Gauchos edge the Ducks 7-5 to earn a series split

UC-Santa Barbara defeated Oregon 7-5 to earn a series split this weekend at PK Park.

Oregon Ducks baseball coach Mark Wasikowski would have probably signed up for a four-game split with UC-Santa Barbara before the weekend. But after winning the first two games, a split doesn’t seem so great.

The Gauchos won the final two games, including today’s 7-5 decision from the Ducks, who fell to 7-5 on the season.

UCSB scored three in the first inning and seemed to have an answer for every Duck rally throughout the day. Oregon did eventually tie the game 4-4 in the fifth, but the Gauchos homered in the next frame.

It was also the second game in a row where the Oregon starting pitcher didn’t have a stellar afternoon. Tommy Brandenburg could just get through two innings, walking two and plunking two others. The bullpen did their best to hold the Gauchos down as much as possible, but they have to cover 15 innings over the last two contests and it finally caught up with them.

Around the horn: Oregon splits a doubleheader and sees winning streak end

Oregon split a doubleheader with UCSB and saw its seven-game winning streak go away with a 5-4 loss in the nightcap.

It’s so difficult to defeat a team seven straight times, but that’s what Oregon was going for as the Ducks attempted to sweep a doubleheader from UC-Santa Barbara.

Oregon went down to UCSB last season and won four straight and won the first two games of this current series with the Gauchos. Even with Josiah Cromwick’s second-inning grand slam, Oregon saw its current seven-game winning streak go away with the Gauchos’ 5-4 win in the nightcap.

The Ducks are now 7-4 on the season, but will attempt to win the series over the Gauchos tomorrow afternoon.

UCSB took the 5-4 lead in the sixth when Oregon centerfielder Colby Shade made a rare error and allowed two runs to score. From there, the Gauchos bullpen held an incredibly hot Duck offense down for 5 2/3 innings. Oregon had a small rally in the ninth with Shade walking to start off, but Cromwick struck out, and last night’s hero, Gavin Grant, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the contest.

In Game 1, Oregon starter Isaac Ayon pitched a great game. He went the entire seven innings, allowing one earned run and five hits with seven strikeouts in the 4-3 Duck win. Drew Cowley drove in three, including a two-run homer.

Around the horn: Gavin Grant’s walk-off homer gives Oregon a 3-2 win over UCSB

Oregon’s Gavin Grant sent Duck fans home happy with a walk-off homer to give Oregon a 3-2 win over UCSB.

Neither team deserved to lose this one.

Oregon and UC-Santa Barbara battled for eight and a half innings until Gavin Grant had enough. The Ducks second baseman belted the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth over the left-field wall and Oregon walked off with a 3-2 win over the Gauchos.

UCSB’s starting pitcher Cory Lewis shut the Ducks down for six innings and Oregon starter Adam Maier went five strong innings. But in the end, it took just one swing of the bat to give the Ducks their sixth straight victory.

It looked bleak in the top of the ninth as the Gauchos managed to have runners on first and third with no out. Fortunately, Oregon closer Kolby Somers proceeded to strike out the next three Gauchos.

Oregon will now try and make it seven or maybe eight straight as the Ducks and Gauchos will play a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.