SANTA BARBARA, Calif. --- No. 16 UC Irvine fell Friday afternoon at Caeser Uyesaka Stadium to the 19th-ranked Gauchos in a 4-1 contest.

First Inning Fireworks
UCI and UCSB both popped off for an early run from their offenses. UC Irvine (21-7, 5-2) got its first three runners on base from a walk, hit by pitch, and a run-scoring single into left field from Brandon Lewis to make it 1-0 Anteaters. A double play and strikeout stunted any more scoring for UCI, and UC Santa Barbara (25-5, 3-1) took advantage getting a pair of two-out hits including a Thomas Rowan liner off Lewis' glove scoring Tommy Jew after his triple, and suddenly the ballgame was tied back up, 1-1

Thomas Rowan Affair
The big bat on the afternoon belonged to Gaucho Thomas Rowan. After his RBI single in the opening inning, he produced a run all on his own in the third inning cranking a solo home run to left field to give UCSB its first lead, 2-1. He returned with the bat in the eighth inning getting UCSB a little breathing room with his second home run of the contest this time off Jordan Bocko and doubling UCSB's lead

The Turning Point
Both defenses were on their game Friday afternoon, but one play in particular would seal UC Irvine's fate. As the eighth inning started, Brendan Brooks lifted a long fly ball into the gap that carried over the right-center wall, but Tommy Jew timed it and reaching over the fence bringing it back, making the out, and preserving the one-run Gaucho lead. UCI had just three hits entering the inning, unable to do much against UCSB starter Ben Brecht, and it proved to be that type of day for the Anteater offense

Final Score: No. 19 UC Santa Barbara 4, No. 16 UC Irvine 1
UC Irvine managed two doubles out of their four hits, but nothing came across home plate after the first inning. Lewis' single extended streaks to 25 straight games on base and 16 in a row with a hit while upping his conference-leading RBI total to 38. Rowan finished with three hits for the Gauchos and three of their four RBIs. Six of the Gaucho hits went for extra bases including a pair of doubles and triples alongside Rowan's two homers

Pitchers of Record
Andre Pallante was solid for seven innings scattering the six hits he allowed while walking just one and striking out eight. UCSB's Ben Brecht finished just a little ahead going 7.2 innings and 122 pitches allowing the lone run on three hits walking two and matching Pallante with eight strikeouts to remain unbeaten at 7-0

Next Up
The programs go at it again with game two of the weekend series starting at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, April 13. Tanner Brubaker matches up with another UCSB lefty in Jack Dashwood on the mound