April 13, 2007

Box Score

Santa Barbara, Calif. - Despite a seven runs in their final two frames, the Pacific baseball team suffered a 14-9 loss to UC Santa Barbara on Friday, April 13.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 9-26-1 on the season and 0-4 in Big West Conference play. UC Santa Barbara, meanwhile, moved to 13-18 overall and 2-2 in conference play.

The Tigers delivered the first blow in the top of the first inning as sophomore Zach Chamberlin (San Rafael, Calif.) and junior Justin Baum (La Mesa, Calif.) drew back-to-back one-out walks. With two outs in the inning, junior Noah St. Urbain (Stockton, Calif.) lifted an RBI double into left-center field to drive in both runners and give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.

UC Santa Barbara, however, exploded offensively in the first three innings, scoring 11 runs to build an early 11-2 lead.

The Gauchos went on to push their lead to 13-2 before the Tigers got their offense going again in the eighth inning.

The Tigers used the right mix of patience and power to get back into the game in the eighth. Junior Denis Hill (Pleasant Hill, Calif.) and sophomore Joe Oliveira (San Diego, Calif.) started the eighth inning with walks, then Chamberlin cracked a mammoth three-run home run over the right field wall to make it a 13-5 contest. The next Pacific batter, junior Justin Baum (La Mesa, Calif.) drew another walk. Two outs later, junior Greg Murray (El Cerrito, Calif.) did his best to match Chamberlin, lifting his third home run of the season over the left field wall to pull the Tigers within six at 13-7.

UCSB added a single run in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 14-7,

In the ninth the Tigers once again started a rally behind a leadoff walk from Hill. One out later, Chamberlin blasted a double into left field to put runners on second and third. A ground-out by Baum scored Hill, then Chamberlin came home as sophomore Kurt Wideman (Fallbrook, Calif.) reached on an error. Trailing 14-9, pinch hitter Jason Haar (San Diego, Calif.) drew a walk to put runners at first and second. The Tigers, however, simply ran out of out as Murray flew out to end the game.

UC Santa Barbara's Chuck Huggins (4-0) notched his fourth victory of the season, allowing just two runs on five hits and six walks.

Pacific starter, freshman David Rowse (Pleasanton, Calif.), suffered the loss (2-5) as he surrendered eight runs on five hits and two walks.

The Tigers and Gauchos continue their three-game series on Saturday, April 14 at 1 p.m. as Pacific send junior Jason Haar (San Diego, Calif.) to the mound.