Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
No. 15 UC Santa Barbara
Bulldogs Edged 6-5 at No. 15 UC Santa Barbara
4/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
By: Matt Burkholder
mburkholder@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - One run in the bottom of the eighth sealed Fresno State's fate Wednesday afternoon as No. 15 UC Santa Barbara topped the Bulldogs 6-5 to open a four-game series at Caeser Uyesaka Stadium.
Despite a late inning run by the Gauchos, Fresno State did its best in the top of the ninth to try and grind out a win - placing its first two batters on base with zero outs. Austin Guibor hit a leadoff single, and in a wild scenario, Torin Goldstein took one pitch to draw a walk after being placed in the game as a pinch hitter for Taylor Tempel, who left the batter's box with a full count. Dual threat Robby Nesovic answered the threat by retiring the Fresno State 3-4-5 hitters in order - Taylor Ward, Manny Argomaniz and Brody Russell.
"We played a heck of a ball game," said head coach Mike Batesole. "We made a couple mistakes, but so did they. That was a really good Division I baseball game."
Fresno State (16-14) starter Jimmy Lambert pitched seven full innings, and left the Bulldogs in a 5-5 tie game following the effort. Lambert lasted seven-plus innings for the third time this season in his eighth start of 2015.
"That's exactly what we needed Jimmy to do," Batesole said. "He got us deep into the game and got us right where we wanted to be. We had a chance to beat another really good team. We had our best hitter at the plate in the ninth with the tying run on base."
UCSB (20-7) opened the scoring with one run in the first and another in the second. Austin Guibor cut the lead in half for the 'Dogs in the top of the third. The Fresno State sophomore crushed a solo shot to right field for his fourth home run of the season.
The Gauchos rallied for three runs in the fourth, all against two outs, ending a run of seven-straight batters retired by Lambert. It was a single, and an error in the outfield by Guibor that advanced a Gaucho runner into scoring position (second) to spark the rally. The Bulldogs intentionally walked the next batter (Lambert's only walk), to fill the open bag at first. After both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Woody Woodward hit a two-RBI double, a chopper down the third base side that bounced just over the reach of Argomaniz. An RBI single would follow for the third UCSB run. The inning could have been one run worse for the Bulldogs had not Aaron Arruda robbed a near home run by Peter Maris for the second out. He put his mitt over the eight-foot fence in right field and brought back a would-be home run.
Fresno State plated four runs in the sixth to tie the game at 5-5. Taylor Ward scored the first run thanks to a wild pitch with the bases loaded, which advanced each baserunner. Arruda followed with an RBI single to score Manny Argomaniz. With runners on the corners, Joe Prior hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Russell. Kenny Corey pinch hit for Jesse Medrano and tied the game with an RBI triple, the first triple of his career.
The go-ahead run in the eighth was aided by a wild pitch that advanced a UCSB runner to second base. Maris, who went 3-for-4 on the day, hit a two-out RBI-single against closer Jake Shull. The runner was inherited after Casey Rodriguez left the game. The leadoff hitter in the eighth reached on an error. Rodriguez's one out was a fielder's choice, which was the eventual go-ahead run.
Rodriguez (1-1) was charged with the loss, while Joe Record (2-1) was credited with the win. Nesovic earned his second save.
Arruda and Guibor led Fresno State with two hits each.
The series continues on Thursday at 3 p.m.
"Be Bold!" - The official home of the Fresno State Bulldogs is 940 AM ESPN Radio.
