SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Fresno State Diamond 'Dogs dropped a tightly contested game to the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos on Friday night, falling 3-1 at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
Fresno State got on the board first in the third inning when Eddie Saldivar came through with an RBI double, scoring Cam Schneider, who had reached on a single earlier in the inning. This gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead and marked Saldivar's second hit of the game. Despite taking the early advantage, the Diamond 'Dogs struggled to build on their momentum, managing only five hits throughout the contest.
On the mound, starting pitcher Jack Anker held the Gauchos in check for the first four innings, but trouble arose in the fifth. With one out and a runner on base, UCSB delivered a two-run home run to left field, flipping the score to 2-1 in favor of the Gauchos. Anker pitched 5.2 innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out five.
Reliever JT Guerrero took over in the sixth inning and provided 2.1 innings of work. While he kept the Gauchos quiet through the seventh, a balk and a hit batter allowed UCSB to tack on an insurance run, extending their lead to 3-1.
With the loss, the Diamond Dogs drop to 4-5 on the season, while UCSB improves to 8-1.
NOTES
The Gauchos are now on a five-game winning streak and have only one loss on the season.
Cam Schneider and Eddie Saldivar both recorded a pair of hits on the night.
Jack Anker and JT Guerrero held the Gauchos to only seven hits, the second-least UCSB has hit this season.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will continue the series against the Gauchos on Saturday at 3:05 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.