Samuels’ six does the trick for Gauchos, 6-4

Zach Samuels pitched six strong innings on Sunday as the UC Santa Barbara baseball team salvaged its three-game series with UC Riverside with a 6-4 victory at the Riverside Sports Complex.

Samuels allowed four runs on six hits in six innings, striking out three as the Gauchos snapped a brief two-game losing streak. The senior improves to 3-2 while the Gauchos inch closer to 30 wins with a 28-21 overall record and a 10-11 mark in Big West play. UCR falls to 31-18, 10-11.

The Gauchos scored twice in the first and twice in the third and with the way Samuels was throwing, it was enough.

Brian Gump’s single scored Gunnar Terhune in the first inning and Matt Valaika’s single scored Gump for a quick 2-0 lead. In the third, Robby Cummings’ single scored Gump and Shane Carlson’s base hit plated Valaika.

UCSB added two more in the sixth inning when Cummings hit his team-leading seventh home run and Mark Haddow’s single scored Bryce Tafelski for a 6-4 lead.

David Meals pitched three solid innings, allowing just three hits, to earn his team-leading fifth save of the year.

Cummings’ homer was his first since March 15 vs. St. Mary’s, which capped a five-home run, 12 RBI week. The senior from Chicago led the way with three hits while Carlson, Gump and Tafelski each had multi-hit games, part of a 12-hit attack by UCSB. It was the third straight game that the Gauchos banged out a dozen hits.

UCSB will host its final home series of the year this coming weekend when top-ranked UC Irvine comes to Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.