NORTHRIDGE – Nine different UCSB players had an RBI and every starter had a hit as part of a 20-hit attack as the No. 19 Gauchos opened Big West play with a 21-12 victory over Cal State Northridge.
It is the second time already this season that UCSB has scored at least 20 runs. The Gauchos, who improved to 14-5 with the victory, scored 25 runs two weekends ago vs. St. Mary’s.
Last year’s UCSB squad also scored 20 runs twice, defeating Westmont 25-3 on April 15 and then beating USC 23-2 four days later.
Junior catcher Marty Mullins went 4-for-4 with three RBI and four runs, Gunnar Terhunewent 3-for-3 with four RBI and two runs scored and Shane Carlson hit a grand slam to highlight an 11-run seventh inning.
Matt Valaika added three hits and an RBI while John DeAlba had two hits and drove in a run as each scored three runs.
Brian Gump hit a two-run homer as part of his 4-RBI day. Gump, with five home runs, has set a career-high, topping last season’s total of four.
Robby Cummings went 2-for-6 with an RBI, pushing his Big West-leading total to 32 whileRyan Cavan, who began the week as the conference’s leading hitter, went 1-for-5 with two RBI.
Tied 8-8 entering the seventh inning, the Gauchos sent 14 hitters to the plate, including eight in a row without an out.
Eric Oliver led off the inning with a double and Carlson was hit by a pitch. Valaika’s double drove in Oliver and after DeAlba was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Mullins’ double scored two more runs.
Terhune followed with a single to center scoring two more and after a walk and hit batter, Carlson blasted his fourth homer of the season, which is only two shy of his career-high of six set last year.
Valaika then reached on an infield single, went to second on shortstop TS Reed’s throwing error, and scored on Cummings’ single up the middle to cap the carousal of scoring.
UCSB tacked on single runs in the eighth and ninth innings with Mark Haddow’s sacrifice fly in the ninth pushing the Gauchos over the 20-run mark.
Starter Joe Gardner, who entered the game with a Big West-leading 1.38 ERA allowed 10 hits and five earned runs in five innings, walking three and striking out five.
Zach Samuels allowed four runs on six hits over three innings and Clayton Edwards pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Gauchos will face CSUN again on Saturday at 1 p.m. and finish off the three-game series on Sunday, also at 1 p.m. at Matador Field. UCSB returns home for a game on Tuesday vs. San Diego State and has a three-game series vs. Pacific next weekend at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
