RIVERSIDE – Despite scoring two runs in the ninth, UCSB’s baseball team could not overcome a four-run deficit and dropped its second game in a row to UC Riverside, falling 9-7 on Saturday at the Riverside Sports Complex.
Mario Hollands allowed eight runs on 10 hits in 6.2 innings pitched, his toughest outing of the season. Although the Gauchos banged out 12 hits for the second game in a row, it was not enough to overcome UCR.
UCSB falls to 27-21 overall and 9-11 in the Big West while the Highlanders improve to 31-17, 10-10.
Gunnar Terhune and Eric Oliver each had three hits, leading five UCSB starters with multi-hit games as Terhune, a junior, hit his first career home run. His solo shot, with one out in the fifth inning cut UCR’s lead in half, 6-3. Oliver led the Gauchos with two RBI, giving him a team-high 46, four more than Matt Valaika, who is second on the squad.
Valaika, Shane Carlson and Robby Cummings each enjoyed multi-hit afternoons with two hits apiece.
The Highlanders jumped on Hollands with three runs in both the first and second innings. Michael Hur finished with a team-high three RBI while Ryan Goetz followed up a four RBI Friday night with two RBI on Saturday.
Hollands (5-6) battled, however, blanking UCR the next three innings as UCSB tried to rally. But the Highlanders got to him again with two runs in the seventh thanks to Carl Uhl, who had a run-scoring single and then later in the inning stole home.
UCSB scored once in the eighth inning when Carlson doubled, moved to third on a flyout and scored on an error. Then, the Gauchos tried to rally from a 9-5 deficit in the ninth.
Ryan Cavan’s sacrifice fly scored Eric Oliver and Cummings’ double plated Valaika. But with two outs, Doug Hansen grounded out to third base to end the game.
