SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The USF baseball team suffered an 8-2 loss on Opening Day to the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos on Friday afternoon. UCSB got out to an early lead and never looked back.  
 
A trio of Dons collected two hits apiece on the day - Blake Valley (2-for-3, RBI), Riley Helland (2-for-4, 2 R) and Brady Bate (2-for-3).  
 
USF starter Thomas Ponticelli (0-1) took the loss, going 5.0 innings allowing eight runs (7 ER) on nine hits with one strikeout and three walks in his collegiate debut.
 
"It was a good test for our process and how guys could settle into the rhythm of the game," said associate head coach Troy Nakamura after the game. "Thomas did a good job attacking the strike zone, we just need to understand that the quality of our execution in general just needs to be that much sharper. But all in all, we can tell that the guys are ready to compete and it's just a matter of sharpening our process."

UCSB (1-0) picked up its first run with two outs in the bottom of the first when Kyle Plantier hit a slow chopper in the hole that USF shortstop Nico Giarratano juggled, allowing the runner from third to score. The Gauchos added a couple more in the inning with a two-out, two-run double by Dempsey Grover to give UCSB a 3-0 advantage after the first frame.
 
In the next half inning, Valley laced a clutch two-out, two-strike single down the right field line that plated the Dons' first run.
 
The Gauchos answered in the bottom half of the second when JJ Muno ripped a two-out, two-run triple that hugged the right field line and ended up in the right field corner, giving UCSB a 5-1 edge.
 
Muno – who ended a single away from the cycle - kept his big day going with a two-run home run to right field in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Ponticelli gave up a leadoff double in the bottom of the fifth and had just about worked himself out of the jam when the Dons couldn't make the play on an infield blooper that dropped, allowing a UCSB run to score with two outs, giving the Gauchos an 8-1 advantage.   
 
The Dons worked the bases loaded on back-to-back two-out hits from Helland and Bate and a Valley walk in the seventh when pinch-hitter Ross Puskarich rolled an infield base hit into the hole that plated a run and cut the Dons' deficit to 8-2, where the score would ultimately stay.   
 
The Gauchos were led offensively by Muno (3-for-4, 4 RBI) and Grover (2-for-4, 2 RBI).
 
UCSB ace Shane Bieber (1-0) picked up the win with 7.0 innings of work scattering seven hits while allowing two runs, both earned, and striking out four while walking one.
 
 
NOTES: USF's Opening Day lineup consisted of four newcomers – 3B Dan James (Saddleback CC), RF Brady Bate (Mesa CC), 2B Riley Helland (Oaks Christian HS) and starting RHP Thomas Ponticelli (Newbury Park HS)… this was the 10^th time in 11 seasons the Dons have opened their season on the road… all three of USF's relievers – LHP Frank Waliczek, RHP Jacob Alcorn and RHP Joey Carney – enjoyed flawless outings in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, respectively, with the exception of one hit allowed by Alcorn.   
 
UP NEXT: The Dons and Gauchos resume the four-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday with first pitch at 11 a.m. from Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.