The 21st-ranked UCSB Baseball team used a trio of long balls and another great outing from starting pitcher Cory Lewis to take down visiting Hawai’i 8-4 in game one of the weekend series.
Lewis (5-0) picked up his fifth win of the season, tossing six full innings and once again tying his career-high with 11 strikeouts. Three runs scored under his watch.
UCSB’s eight runs scored on just six hits, as five of them went for extra bases and the Gauchos collected five walks.
Zander Darby, Kyle Johnson, and Broc Mortensen all went deep in the game and Nick Vogt had a bases-clearing double that was good for three RBI.
Michael Rice finished the game on the bump, tossing 2.2 innings with no runs to his credit.
Hawai’i scored the first run of the series with a solo shot in the top of the 2nd, but UCSB was quick to respond with a five spot in the bottom of the third. The Gauchos loaded the bases and with two outs Vogt stepped in to crush a bases-clearing double to put his team in front 3-1. The next batter was Johnson, who cranked a two-run homer over the right field wall to make it 5-1.
Mortensen made it 6-1 with a towering shot in the bottom of the fourth, but the Rainbow Warriors got the run back in the top of the fifth.
A double by Christian Kirtley and a Hawai’i error drove in Johnson to extend the lead to 7-2, and in the bottom of the sixth it was Darby’s turn as the freshman went yard to make it 8-2.
Two more would come across for the Bows in the 7th to conclude the scoring. Hawai’i threatened to score more, but Rice put an end to that by getting two quick outs.
UCSB will look to win the series tomorrow evening in game two. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
Daniel Moebus-Bowles writes about sports for UCSB.
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