BAKERSFIELD- Ryan Cavan and Shane Carlson each homered and knocked in a career-high five runs each while combining for seven of UCSB’s 18 hits on Tuesday as the Gauchos routed Cal State Bakersfield, 17-2, at Hardt Field.
The 17 runs were the third-most scored by UCSB in a game this season and it was the 13th time this season that the Gauchos had at least 13 hits in a game and the sixth time they have had at least 15 hits in a game.
UCSB improves to 22-12 overall while Bakersfield falls to 8-26. UCSB has won all three games vs. Bakersfield this season by a combined 35-9 tally.
The Gauchos scored five runs in both the first and sixth innings as Carlson broke out of a slump in a big way by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored to go with his five RBI.
The senior shortstop entered the game batting just .227 and hadn’t homered since Mar. 27, a span of 12 games. In that span, Carlson had driven in just one run.
However, in the sixth, Carlson followed Cavan’s three-run home run with one of his own – his fifth this season – and then followed up Cavan’s RBI double in the seventh with a two-run single. Carlson had an RBI double in the third inning and added a run-scoring groundout in the fifth.
Carlson’s previous high of four RBI was accomplished three times, including twice earlier this season.
Cavan, meanwhile, pushed his team-high batting average to .360 after his 4-for-5 day while scoring four runs. After a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the first, Cavan hit an RBI double in the fifth before belting his second homer of the season, a three-run blast, in the sixth.
The junior infielder, from Belmont, Calif., had previously enjoyed a three RBI game earlier this season, while the four hits also tied a season-best.
Gunnar Terhune and Eric Oliver added two hits apiece while Brian Gump extended his hitting streak to 12 games. John DeAlba was the only other Gaucho to drive in more than one run as he knocked in a pair. That gives the Goleta, Calif. native 11 in his past 10 games.
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Jesse Meaux (3-0) allowed two runs on four hits in three innings to earn the win on a planned “staff day.” Greg Davis, Patrick McIntyre, Mike Ford and David Meals combined to hold the Roadrunners scoreless the rest of the way.
