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Holy Cross season ends with loss to UC Santa Barbara in NCAA tournament

AUSTIN, Texas – The Holy Cross baseball team’s 2026 season ended with a loss to UC Santa Barbara in the NCAA Tournament Austin Regional.

The Gauchos scored nine runs in the seventh inning to pull away for a 15-1 victory in an elimination game on May 30.

Holy Cross, which captured its second straight Patriot League Tournament title and automatic NCAA berth, finished 25-30.

The Crusaders opened NCAA play with a 19-1 loss to host Texas.

UC Santa Barbara (39-19) will face the loser of Texas-Tarleton State in another elimination game on May 31. Tarleton State beat the Gauchos, 11-5, in a first-round game.

UC Santa Barbara junior starter Jackson Flora, the Big West Pitcher of the Year, limited the Crusaders to 1 earned run on 2 hits and struck out 9 in 7⅔ innings.

Flora is a semifinalist for USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award and for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association’s Dick Howser Trophy.

Flora leads the nation in ERA (1.06) and wins (12).

HC scored its run on junior Ryan Grundy’s home run to right in the fifth inning.

It was a 3-1 game after six.

Senior Nick Vargas’ grand slam broke the game open in the seventh. The Gauchos sent 13 batters to the plate in the inning.

The Gauchos had 15 hits off five Holy Cross pitchers.

Holy Cross sophomore starter Jake Lenahan allowed 6 earned runs on 7 hits in 6 innings. He walked 4 and struck out 4.

Juniors Gianni Royer and Braden Connors had HC’s other two hits.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Holy Cross season ends with loss to UC Santa Barbara in NCAA tournament

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