Darkness forces UCLA baseball into rare tie with UCSB

The UCLA (22-19-1, 9-9 Pac-12) and UC Santa Barbara (26-11-1, 7-8 Big West) baseball teams met up in Santa Barbara on Tuesday afternoon to settle their season series, but both clubs ended up losing to a common enemy: the sun.

With the teams locked into an extra-innings battle, the game was called after 12 innings because of darkness, as UCSB’s Caesar Uyesaka Stadium does not have lights.

“It was very weird to end like that. I haven’t had that happen in a game since like Little League, where we didn’t have lights,” said sophomore outfielder Ty Moore with a laugh.

Since the teams do not face each other again this season, the game will not be finished, and it will go in the record books as a tie.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a tie at UCLA,” said coach John Savage. “At least I can’t remember one.”

Savage’s memory is correct, as this is his first tie at UCLA, but it’s the second in his career. It is UCLA’s first tie since Feb. 5, 1997, against Cal State Northridge.

One reason the game ended in a tie was UCLA’s offense got going early, being spurred into action by players like Moore, who went 4-5 with three RBIs and is 7-9 in his last two games.

“I don’t feel like I’m doing anything different,” Moore said. “I feel I just have a little bit more confidence and I’m finally starting to get to know myself at the plate at the college level.”

UCLA jumped out to an early lead in the second inning, scoring four runs off of four hits and a walk. Junior catcher Shane Zeile capped off the rally with an RBI triple.

The Gauchos got one back in the bottom half of the same inning on an unearned run. They would tie the game in the third on a three-run home run from junior first baseman Tyler Kuresa, his ninth on the season.

The Bruins responded by reclaiming the lead in the fourth as Moore singled in senior outfielder Brian Carroll, who had singled and stolen second base.

“I haven’t got (a stolen base) in a while, so it was kind of nice to get a couple tonight,” said Carroll, who stole two bags in the game.

The game would be tied in the fifth as UCSB pushed across a run with three singles in the inning.

The score would hold for the next seven innings, as both bullpens were dominant in the game. UCLA’s pen threw eight scoreless innings, while UCSB’s relievers allowed one run over 10.1 innings.

“I was proud of our bullpen,” Savage said. “Our bullpen did an outstanding job. … I think we had some guys really grow up today.”

UCLA got a boost in the bullpen with the return of junior closer David Berg, who had missed the previous seven games because of a bicep injury.

“It was hard to watch the team not do so great while I was out, so it was great to get back out there and help the team,” Berg said.

The Bruins’ best opportunity to win the game would come in the top of the 12th with runners at second and third and two outs, but freshman second baseman Luke Persico struck out to end the inning.

With the Bruins fighting for their playoff lives, this was a victory that they desperately needed but will have to live without.

“(We needed this victory) bad,” Savage said. “When you come off getting swept, which we hadn’t done in years … it’s really disappointing. … I think we did get better today – it’s just unfortunate we didn’t get the win.”