The UCSB baseball team capped its long nine-game homestand on Monday with a blowout win over Saint Mary’s College by a score of 10-1. With the win, the Gauchos claim a 6-3 record over the nine home games and are now winners of four in a row. Saint Mary’s has now lost five games in a row falling to 4-8.

UCSB is now in fourth place in the Big West conference at 7-4 thanks to a solid start from freshman starting pitcher Kenny Chapman. Chapman pitched six strong innings for his second win of the year, allowing just three hits and just one run coming in the first inning.

“Early on I felt kind of off, just a little bit,” Chapman said. “I had a tough time getting the first pitch strike over but after that first inning I found myself a little bit and was getting that first pitch strike over and felt that after that my change up was working for me better and had real great defense behind me.”

The Gaels jumped out to a lead in the first inning on an RBI single by sophomore Collin Ferguson. Chapman had walked the leadoff hitter who then stole second to move into scoring position. Ferguson sent a 0-2 pitch into right field to put his team on the board first.

The Gauchos tied the game in the bottom of the second inning after getting their own leadoff hitter aboard. Sophomore right fielder Luke Swenson singled to shortstop and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Freshman center fielder Andrew Calica then doubled in Swenson to tie the game.

Senior starting pitcher Kelsey Outram had gotten through four innings relatively unscathed for the Gaels but was hurt by allowing the leadoff man aboard. In the bottom of the fifth inning, junior shortstop Brandon Trinkwon singled to start the inning followed by sophomore Tyler Kuresa. The two then advanced on a sacrifice bunt and came around to score on Swenson’s two-run double. Swenson would come around to score on a squeeze by freshman second baseman Ryan Clark for the three-run inning.

Santa Barbara put another three-spot on Saint Mary’s when yet again the leadoff batter reached base. With the bases loaded and one out, Kuresa crushed a double to right center field to clear the bases and put the Gauchos up 7-1.

“It was a great day today. Everyone was on,” Trinkwon said. “We got 12 hits, probably should have had even more; I know I let a couple opportunities slip away, I know some other guys did too but we are satisfied with the win.”

Chapman led the top of the seventh off with a walk and was pulled in favor of freshman Domenic Mazza, who recorded three quick outs to keep the Gaels off the board in the seventh. Fellow relievers, freshman Connor Baits and senior Jared Wilson, followed suit with quick eighth and ninth innings to seal the victory.

“It was a good bounce back for [Chapman and Mazza]. They came in throwing strikes. [Chapman] did a nice job, but … we have seen better so I think there is still one more gear for him to get into,” Head Coach Andrew Checketts said. “And that was the Dom we know and love and the guy we thought we had.”

Santa Barbara next faces the University of Texas this weekend.

A version of this article appeared on page 6 of March 5th, 2013’s print edition of the Nexus.

Photo by Mark Brocher of the Daily Nexus.

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