Box Score
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The University of San Francisco baseball team couldn't continue the momentum gained from yesterday's sweep of a doubleheader, as the Dons dropped a 6-2 game to UC Santa Barbara to split the weekend's four-game series.
A day after scoring 15 runs, the Dons were held in check by Santa Barbara's Andrew Vasquez and a quartet of relievers in the loss. Vasquez walked six in 5.1 innings, yielding six walks and hitting a pair of batters, but the Dons couldn't take advantage of the Gaucho's wildness.
USF starter
Sheldon Lee went 3.2 innings, giving up three runs on five hits. Lee, a sophomore, was removed from the game in the fourth inning after surrendering a two-run double to third baseman Peter Maris.
Andrew Pulido,
Adam Cimber,
Ben Graff and
Jesse DeLong worked the final 5.1 innings for USF.
The Dons cut a 3-0 deficit to 3-2 with runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Outfielder
Derek Atkinson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth, and
Bob Cruikshank doubled with a runner on second an inning later.
The Dons never pulled even with UCSB as the Gauchos scored three runs in the seventh on a pair of run-scoring doubles that extended the lead to 6-2. Santa Barbara's bullpen limited the Dons to one hit and no walks over the final 3.1 innings to close out the victory.
"It was great for us to bounce back and split a road series," said Dons Head Coach
Nino Giarratano. "We had a lot of chances to win today's game, but we didn't play well enough in all three phases of the game. We've learned a lot about who this team is and will continue to work to get better offensively and defensively. Next week is a big challenge for us, and we're excited to play some tough games."
The Dons play again Tuesday at San Jose State at 6 p.m. before heading to Tucson to take on defending national champion Arizona March 1-3.
Inside the Numbers
Bob Cruikshank recorded his team-high sixth double of the season in the sixth inning. Cruikshank led the West Coast Conference with five doubles entering today's game.
Line of the Day
Bob Cruikshank, 2-4, RBI, sixth double of the season
