Josh Williams got all of his first career hit, launching it 436 feet into right field, clearing the wall by plenty for a three-run home run. His long ball was one of three UCSB baseball (7-3) hit on Sunday, as the Gauchos rode that early power surge, plus near-flawless pitching from Reed Moring to a 5-1 win over Xavier (5-7). Aaron Parker and Justin Trimble joined Williams for the home run party, while UCSB’s freshman righty, Moring, went seven scoreless innings on the mound for the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos and their fans had to wait for some mid-afternoon rain to clear before getting started, but once the game got underway, everyone at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium was rewarded for their patience. After clubbing a home run and two doubles Saturday night, Parker kept his hot streak rolling, taking a 1-0 pitch right over the 405 sign in dead center field to give the home side a 1-0 lead. The first-inning fun did not end there, as after Ivan Brethowr and Broc Mortensen walked, Williams made only his second college at-bat a memorable one, crushing a three-run shot to right.
After Moring worked a perfect top of the second, it was right back to the long ball for UCSB, as Trimble led off the inning with a homer to the same part of the ballpark as Williams’. It was only Trimble’s second hit of the season, with both leaving the yard.
Xavier’s starter faced one more Gaucho but then departed, and while his replacement managed to cool UCSB’s bats, it didn’t matter much because Moring had the Xavier offense completely shut down. The freshman righty spun a seven-inning gem Sunday afternoon, scattering three hits and three walks while striking out three. The ground ball was Moring’s best friend Sunday afternoon, especially when he induced a double play to end the only inning in which he allowed multiple baserunners. Most of the contact Xavier got against Moring ended up going straight to a defender, and even when it didn’t, the Gaucho defense made the play anyway, like Nick Oakley’s sliding stop to take away a hit in the sixth.
Hudson Barrett relieved Moring to start the eighth inning and struck out two in the frame to strand a runner on third, but he would eventually give up a run in the ninth. The lefty hit Xavier’s lead-off man with a pitch, and while Sam Whiting took over for Barrett, that run did come around to score before the end of the game.
ON THE STAT SHEET
– In all three games of this weekend series, the team with more hits went on to lose the game. UCSB scored their five runs on only four hits Sunday, while Xavier only managed one from their six knocks
– After working two thirds of the seventh inning last weekend at Oregon, Reed Moring got to finish seven frames Sunday night and deserved to, finishing with a line of zero runs on three hits, three walks, and three strikeouts.
– Each of UCSB’s four hits came from different players and all went for extra bases, with Ivan Brethowr adding a double to the three homers.
– Hudson Barrett and Sam Whiting each worked an inning of relief on Sunday. Barrett gave up the one run on one hit, a walk, and hit a batter but also struck out two. Whiting allowed two hits but no runs, striking out two and issuing no walks.
– The results of Justin Trimble’s first four at-bats this season were as follows: strikeout, home run, strikeout, home run. He also reached base three times on a walk and two hit-by-pitches in that span.
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will play their first mid-week game of the season on Tuesday, welcoming the Pepperdine Waves to Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. The Waves also went 2-1 on the weekend, with wins over South Alabama and Southern before a loss to Iowa. Neither team has announced their starter for Tuesday’s contest yet. First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m., and the game will be live on ESPN+
Eric Boose is assistant director of athletic communications at UCSB.
email: sports@newspress.com
