May 21, 2011
Final Stats
DAVIS, Calif. - Junior right-hander Matt Vedo allowed just one hit and two walks in eight-plus innings, running a no-hitter into the seventh, leading UC Santa Barbara to a 1-0 win over UC Davis in Big West Conference baseball action at Dobbins Stadium Saturday afternoon.
The Aggies fall to 16-33 for the season and 8-12 in conference. The Gauchos improve to 23-24 overall and 8-12 in Big West play.
With the victory, Vedo edged UC Davis junior southpaw Anthony Kupbens in a pitchers' dual that lasted just longer than two hours. Kupbens earned his ninth quality start and his third complete game of the season, scattering seven hits with seven strikeouts across nine innings of work.
Although Vedo entered the game with a team-high 36 walks and 17 hit batters, UC Davis attempted to jump on the righty early in counts. In exactly half of their 18 outs through six innings, the Aggies went down on either the first or second pitch.
Aggie designated hitter Scott Lyman finally ended Veto's no-hit bid with two outs in the seventh. After right fielder David Popkins reached on a hit-by-pitch, Lyman slammed a line drive through the left side of the infield, giving UC Davis its first runner in scoring position. On the next at-bat, first baseman Eric Johnson drove a soft fly to right that nearly burned Gaucho Mark Haddow for extra bases. However, the UCSB senior reached back and made a one-handed catch, ending the rally and preserving the shutout.
The Gauchos scored their only run in the second inning. Left fielder Joe Wallace reached on a well-place bunt up the third-base line. He stole second, then scored on catcher Bryce Tafelski's single to left. Kupbens coaxed a pop foul from sophomore Steven Moon to close out the inning, launching a stretch of nine consecutive retired batters.
UCSB threatened again in the fifth after Kupbens had set down Trevor Whyte and Tafelski to start the frame. With two runners on, Gaucho center fielder Ben Edelstein drove a single to left. Steven Moon rounded third in an attempt to pad his team's lead, but Popkins' high-arching throw met the glove of catcher Alex Dreyfuss just before Moon could slide across the plate. Dreyfuss applied the tag to hold the deficit at a single run.
The Aggies' first shot to break up Vedo's no-hitter came earlier in the seventh. Brett Morgan pounded a hard grounder through the middle, only to have Gaucho second baseman Sean Williams stretch out with a diving snare. Williams quickly found his feet and threw a strike to the first baseman Whyte to catch Morgan by half a step.
Vedo started the ninth inning with the hopes of completing a one-hit shutout. He hit Justin Andrade on a 3-0 pitch and immediately was relieved by Brett Fick. With two outs and pinch runners Corbin Cutshaw and Seth Batty aboard, Fick finished the save by coaxing Lyman into a fly to center.
UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara complete their three-game conference series on Sunday. Game time is 1 p.m.
| UC Santa Barbara (23-24, 8-12) | 010 | 000 | 000 | - | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| UC Davis (16-33, 8-12)) | 000 | 000 | 000 | - | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Matthew Vedo, Brett Fick (9) and Bryce Tafelski. Anthony Kupbens and Alex Dreyfuss. Win - Vedo, 5-6. Loss - Kupbens, 5-7. Save - Fick, 2.
Hitters - UCSB: Derek Eligio, 1x4; Ben Edelstein, 1x4; Sean Williams, 2x4; Joe Wallace, 1x4; Bryce Tafelski, 2x3, RBI. UC Davis: Scott Lyman, 1x4.
