Baseball Drops Series Opener at UCSB, 7-4

Friday, February 24

Santa Barbara, Calif.

4:00 p.m. CT

Tulane University

1-4

UC Santa Barbara

2-3

Tulane

UC Santa Barbara

Photo by: Parker Waters

Feb 24, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara scored seven runs over two innings, and Tulane baseball's comeback attempt fell short in a 7-4 defeat in the series opener Friday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.

The Green Wave (1-4) scored two runs in the fifth and one each in the eighth and ninth innings after falling behind 7-0 after four frames. Sophomore right fielder Grant Witherspoon went 2-for-3 and scored a run, and six other Tulane batters tallied a hit, as the Wave totaled eight in the game, with a pair of defensive miscues. The Gauchos (2-3) scored three runs in the third inning and four runs in the fourth, and finished with 10 hits and an error.

The Tulane bullpen was effective in relief, holding UCSB scoreless for the final four innings. Freshman Burton Schnake pitched 2.2 shutout innings in relief of starter Corey Merrill (1-1). Junior Sam Bjorngjeld tossed a scoreless frame, and freshman Robert Price retired the only batter he faced to end the eighth inning.

Down 7-0, the Green Wave scored two runs in the top of the fifth to cut it to 7-2. Third baseman Hunter Hope led off the inning with a double to left field and scored on freshman shortstop Sal Gozzo's double down the right field line. Senior left fielder Jarret DeHart lined a single up the middle to plate Gozzo.

Witherspoon singled to start the sixth, but was stranded after stealing second base. In the eighth, however, he hit a one-out double past the diving center fielder, and scored on pinch hitter Matt Rowland's base hit to left. Senior second baseman Jake Willsey led off the ninth inning with a home run to left field, the only long ball of the day, but it was all the Wave could muster.

UC Santa Barbara scored three runs in the third and four runs in the fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead. In the third, an RBI single by designated hitter Billy Frederick and a two-run single by catcher Sam Cohen made it 3-0. Three hits, two walks and an error led to four runs, two of which were earned, in the fourth to make the score 7-0.

"We were down seven runs before we even got a chance," Tulane head coach Travis Jewett. "We had first and second, nobody out in the first inning, and that was a chance for us to maybe make a statement there, but we got a lot of empty at bats. We need a collective group that can come out here tomorrow, and it's going to start with (J.P.) France. He's got to give us a chance. Offensively, we're just hoping it's going to click. New day tomorrow."

UCSB starter Noah Davis (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits with 10 strikeouts in 7.0 innings. Alex Garcia, the last of three relievers for the Gauchos, got the final out of the ninth and earned his second save of the season.

The series continues Saturday, with first pitch set for 4 p.m. CT. The game can be heard on 88.3 FM WRBH and the TuneIn Radio app, and live stats will be available at www.TulaneGreenWave.com.

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UC Santa Barbara 7, Tulane 4 (Feb 24, 2017 at Santa Barbara, Calif)
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Tulane.............. 000 020 011 - 4 8 2 (1-4)
UC Santa Barbara.... 003 400 00X - 7 10 1 (2-3)
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Pitchers: Tulane - MERRILL, Corey; SCHNAKE, Burton(5); BJORNGJELD, Sam(7); PRICE, Robert(8) and
MONTALBANO, Jeremy. UC Santa Barbara - Davis, Noah; Barry, Shea(8); Woodall, AJ(9);
Garcia, Alex(9) and Cohen, Sam.
Win-Davis, Noah(2-0) Save-Garcia, Alex(2) Loss-MERRILL, Corey(1-1) T-2:52 A-396
HR TLN - WILLSEY, Jake (2).
Weather: low 60s, clear, breezy