Tanner Smith celebrates his grand slam. (Shotgun Spratling)

Slammin’ Smith Powers Ducks Past No. 7 Gauchos

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Tanner Smith looks like a leadoff hitter. The third-year sophomore stands 5-foot-9. He acts like a leadoff hitter. He knows how to work counts. He’s tough to strikeout. He walks nearly as much as he strikes out. He was second on the team with eight sacrifice bunts his freshman year.

But Smith isn’t your typical leadoff hitter. He began the season in the cleanup spot after hitting second in the lineup much of the early parts of his career.

He isn’t afraid to ambush a first-pitch fastball, a lesson UC Santa Barbara starting pitcher Zach Torra[…]