DAVIS – For the 12th time this season, the UCSB baseball team banged out at least 13 hits and it was more than enough on Friday afternoon at UC Davis’ Dobbins Baseball Complex. As three pitchers held the Aggies to one run on six hits, the Gauchos’ offense pounded out 15 hits – including five extra-base hits – in a 14-1 victory over UC Davis.
It was the fifth time this season UCSB has tallied at least 15 hits in a game and it secured the Gauchos’ fourth weekend series win – in five total – this season.
It was the fifth win in UCSB’s last six games as the Gauchos improved to 19-9, 5-3 in the Big West. UC Davis falls to 5-23-, 0-5.
Mark Haddow and John DeAlba each had three RBI as Gunnar Terhune and Steve Cookeach drove in a pair of runs. Ten different Gauchos recorded at least one hit while four had multiple-hit games. Terhune finished 3-for-5 while Haddow, DeAlba and Brian Gumpeach had two hits.
Mario Hollands (4-2) started the game and pitched 3.1 shutout innings, allowing just four hits before coming out after being hit with a line drive. Clayton Edwards pitched 3.2 strong innings, allowing Davis’ lone run on one hit and Patrick McIntyre allowed just one hit in the final two innings.
Terhune, who has hit in 14 of his past 16 contests, led off the game with a triple and scored moments later on Gump’s single. Gump stole second, went to third on a flyout and then stole home. It was his 14th stolen base of the season and his 36 runs scored this season leads the Big West.
UCSB padded its total with four runs in the fourth, three more in the fifth, one in the sixth and four in the seventh.
In the fourth inning, Haddow’s two-run double highlighted the inning and his single in the next inning scored another after Eric Oliver had already scored on a wild pitch.
Matt Valaika’s groundout in the sixth accounted for that run and DeAlba’s two-run double and Cook’s two-run, pinch-hit single in the seventh made it 14-1.
The Gauchos will go for the sweep on Saturday at 1 p.m. when Mike Ford (3-3, 5.97 ERA) takes the hill.
UCSB returns home on Wednesday, April 15 vs. Cal State Bakersfield as the Athletics Department is helping fans beat the Tax Man on Tax Day. Tickets to the game are just $1.
