There were three walk-off wins, but the most impressive performance came in a game that ended with neither team scoring a run the final eight innings. There were also two relievers that were lights out for a combined 10.1 innings.
Find out which pitchers were throwing up zero after zero in Friday’s Southern California college baseball roundup that features photo galleries from Pepperdine, Irvine and Northridge:
Long Beach State 1, #23 UC Santa Barbara 0
Last night, Long Beach State head coach Troy Buckley said facing No. 23 UC Santa Barbara (23-10, 4-7) would be the biggest test for senior pitcher Josh Frye, who entered the Dirtbags rotation three weeks ago due to injuries to Nick Sabo and Jason Alexander.
Frye responded with a resounding performance, establishing himself as a guy the Dirtbags (18-18, 5-3) can turn the ball over to without hesitation. Frye blanked the potent offense of the Gauchos, winning 1-0. He needed only 91 pitches in a five-hit shutout! Frye only allowed two runners to reach second base and none to go further than that. Despite having only two strikeouts, he was absolutely dealing.
The only run of the game came in the first inning when Garrett Hampson doubled and scored on an Ino Patron RBI single. Both players finished the game with three hits. They were about the only offense in the game as Santa Barbara starter Austin Pettibone also pitched well: 6 IP, 7 H, ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
UC Irvine 3, San Diego State 0
After the game, UC Irvine head coach Mike Gillespie called San Diego State’s offense “scary”, but it was the Anteaters (25-13) pitching that was scary good on Friday. Elliot Surrey improved to 6-2 on the season, allowing only four hits and one walk in 7.1 innings. The crafty lefty has now won five straight starts, lowering his ERA from 4.30 to 1.88 in the process.
Gillespie talks about Surrey’s gaining confidence, the Aztecs and getting back into Big West play next weekend:
Surrey is not an overpowering pitcher, but he mixes his pitches well and hits spots, making him a formidable starter behind Andrew Morales in the rotation. Only once this season has Surrey allowed more than two runs.
San Diego State assistant coach Mark Martinez talks about Surrey keeping the Aztecs off-balance and discusses how the team has reacted to having head coach Tony Gwynn sidelined due to health issues:
After Matt Fielding relieved Surrey for one batter in the eighth inning, Sam Moore came on for a four-out save after blowing his first save last night. Moore allowed a single, but was lights out. He recorded his nation-leading 16th save — one behind the school record of 17 held by Blair Erickson and Eric Pettis.
Moore talks about bouncing back after not sleeping well last night:
CBD photographer Shotgun Spratling provides his top photos from the game:
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#3 Cal Poly 4, #19 Cal State Fullerton 3 (13 innings)
Nick Torres blasted a double just out of the reach of outfielder Clay Williamson and Mark Mathias, who had been running on the pitch, scored from first base to give the Cal Poly Mustangs (33-5, 10-1) a 4-3 walk-off win in 13 innings. It took them 17 hits, but the 17th provided the final nail in the coffin for Cal Poly to take the series against Cal State Fullerton (18-15, 3-5).
It may have also been the an initial nail in the coffin for the Titans, who once again struggled to hit, managing only five hits while striking out 20 times! Matt Chapman led the game off with a solo homer and Tanner Pinkston led off the fourth inning with a single to start a two-run rally. Other than that, the only hits came from Clay Williamson, who finished a homer shy of hitting for the cycle.
Thomas Eshelman left with the lead after allowing two runs on eight hits and his third walk of the season. But the Mustangs got three straight one-out singles against Phil Bickford in the eighth inning, tying the game on Peter Van Gansen’s grounder up the middle.
In the ninth inning, Williamson hit a leadoff double and was sacrificed to third, but Reed Reilly entered and struck out a pair (around an intentional walk) to strand Williamson. The Titans didn’t threaten again as Reilly struck out nine and didn’t allow a hit in 4.2 innings of impeccable relief. Against J.D. Davis, Cal Poly got a runner in scoring position in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings (leaving five on base) before getting the game-winner from Torres.
Van Gansen finished 4-for-5 with two RBI while Mathias also recorded four hits.
UC Riverside 8, UC Davis 7
A five-run fifth inning propelled UC Riverside (16-18, 5-3) to an 8-7 victory and a series win against UC Davis (16-19, 3-8). Zach Varela picked up his fifth win. He didn’t allow an earned run in five innings. After Davis made it a one-run game in the eighth inning, Kevin Sprague pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.
UC Riverside’s Cody Hough hit his first homer while Thomas Walker drove in four runs, going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Joe Chavez added three hits. For the Aggies, Tanner Bily was a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two walks.
USC 5, Arizona 4 (12 innings)
Omar Cotto once again played the hero role for the Trojans (19-17, 8-9) as they earned their sixth walk-off win of the season. With two outs and two men in scoring position, Cotto shot a line drive through the left side to plate pinch runner Frankie Rios.
USC outhit the Wildcats 16 to 5, but tied the game in the eighth inning when power hitter Vahn Bozoian laid down a perfect safety squeeze bunt after a wild pitch on a strikeout had allowed Bobby Stahel to reach base and an errant throw on a perfect double-play tapper back to the mound pushed him to third base.
The biggest story for the Trojans was the incredible relief outing of Kyle Twomey. The sophomore southpaw entered with a runner on second after Arizona (17-22, 6-11) had taken a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning. He got two infield pops around an intentional walk to end the seventh and then allowed only one single over the next five innings, giving USC every opportunity it needed.
Jeremy Martinez started the 12th inning with his fourth hit of the game. Back-to-back hitters, USC pulled back after showing bunt and slashed. Both were effectively swinging bunts, going for a single and a sacrificial lamb that moved both runners into scoring position. After a strikeout, Cotto produced the game winner with his third hit of the game.
Tyler Krause homered for Arizona.
San Francisco 3, #28 Pepperdine 2
Abe Bobb gave up a pair of solo home runs to Kolten Yamaguchi and Aaron Brown, but that was pretty much all the senior allowed in a complete game effort.
San Francisco (18-19, 7-10) took advantage of six walks from Pepperdine starter Matt Maurer to score three runs. In both the third and fifth innings, Maurer allowed a leadoff single and then two walks to load the bases. He limited the damage to one run the first time by getting a double play, but the Dons got a two-out, two-run single by Derek Atkinson.
Atkinson finished with two of San Francisco’s five hits, but Bobb was the biggest story. The senior has been in the USF rotation for three years, but has struggled this season, entering with an ERA over 6.00. On Friday, he located his fastball and mixed his pitches well against the Waves (29-8, 13-3). He scattered eight hits, but didn’t allow a walk and struck out five.
CBD photographer Shotgun Spratling provides his top photos from the game:
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BYU 6, Loyola Marymount 2
BYU evened the series with a 6-2 win behind eight innings from Jeff Barker, who seems to be getting stronger as the season progresses for the Cougars (15-25, 6-11).
Loyola Marymount (24-14, 12-4) starter Patrick McGrath was scratched for undisclosed reasons, forcing typical Sunday long reliever Sean Buckle into the lineup. He allowed two runs (one earned) in four innings, but BYU was able to build on a 2-1 inning in each of the three innings reliever Tim Peabody pitched.
The Lions had 10 hits, but struggled to get the big hits like they have recently been able to do. Tanner Donnels and Cassidy Brown both reached three times. The loss snaps a seven-game win streak for LMU.
Santa Clara 2, San Diego 1
San Diego (25-12, 11-5) took a bad series loss at home to Santa Clara (17-22, 7-7) after the Torero defense allowed five errors. Lucas Long pitched well, allowing seven hits and two unearned runs in eight innings, but the offense was held without an extra base hit and didn’t score until the eighth inning.
When San Diego did finally score on an Austin Bailey RBI single, Andrew Daniel had to be held up at third base. Jesse Jenner lined out to the centerfielder and Kyle Holder flew out, stranding the tying run at third. For the Broncos, leadoff hitter Greg Harisis reached four times and scored a run.
Cal State Northridge 2, Hawai’i 1
Cal State Northridge (15-23, 4-7) scored its first Big West series win in walk-off fashion. William Colantano knocked a game-winning double in the ninth inning, allowing pinch runner Nico Garbello to easily score from second base.
Jerry Keel looked like him old self, allowing only three hits and an unearned run while striking out 10 in 8.2 innings, but he still couldn’t get his first win of the season. Anthony Cortez picked up the win after he got a flyout to end a Hawai’i (14-21, 2-9) runners-on-the-corners threat in the ninth inning.
Brett Balkan was 2-for-2, but was ejected in the fifth inning when there was a collision at the plate as he tried to score from second on a Ranny Lowe single. Colantano also had two hits.
Check out CBD photographer David Cohen’s top photos from the game :
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Utah 8, #27 UCLA 6
The UCLA offense spotted Grant Watson a 5-1 lead, but everything fell apart for the Bruins (20-16, 8-6) in the fifth inning. Utah scored seven runs, batting through the order without recording an out.
The Utes (12-22, 3-14) turned the ball over to Tanner Banks (3 IP, 3 H, 3 K) and Nick Green (sixth save) en route to an 8-6 win to even the series. Cody Scaggeri led Utah with three hits, including his first homer. Hunter Simmons also had three hits while Max Schuman and Braden Anderson both drove in two runs.
Brett Stephens and Ty Moore had two hits and scored two runs each while Shane Zeile and Kevin Williams both drove in two runs.
