By Jonathan Cañas (@jonathancanas_) – Spear Reporter
San Jose State baseball team huddled together at the mound | Photo by Nick Orozco – The Spear
San Jose State baseball (8-18, 4-6 MW) suffered a 3-2 10th inning loss to No. 25 UC Santa Barbara (14-8, 4-2 Big West) on the road Thursday night at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
Spartan starter Michael Rice pitched a career high five innings and struck out a season high four batters in his first game against his former team.
“I thought we had a great start from Michael Rice and Ethan Ross pitched into the tenth,” San Jose head coach Brad Sanfilippo said. “Missing some key pieces offensively and offensively we just didn’t have enough today.”
Spartan third baseman Nathan Cadena got things going in the first inning with his RBI double to make the game 1-0.
The Guachos retaliated in the same inning to tie up the game at 1-1. Those two runs wound up being the only runs scored until the seventh inning.
Rice and Santa Barbara starter Ryan Gallagher got into a pitching duel before both teams turned to their bullpens.
After getting through five innings SJSU turned to pitcher Ethan Ross.
In the bottom of the seventh with an 0-2 count and a man on second base Ross gave up an RBI double to officially put an end to the scoring drought as the Spartans trailed 2-1.
SJSU came up to bat in the top of the eighth inning and Sebastian Orduno tied the game with an RBI single.
SJSU went scoreless in the ninth inning and were on the wrong side of a one-two-three inning to start off the tenth. Two of the three batters struck out in extra innings.
Ethan Ross found himself in a jam in the bottom of the tenth. With the bases loaded and one out Ross hit the batter, solidifying the Guachos win.
The Spartans finish the two game series tomorrow at 11 a.m.