Jesse Meaux pitched seven strong innings, Ben Edelstein had three hits and David Meals struck out a batter with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to help UCSB to an 8-4 win over Cal State Northridge on Sunday.
The victory snapped a five-game losing skid by the Gauchos and it wasn’t just those three that had a hand in it as all nine UCSB starters either had a hit or scored a run. UCSB improves to 20-22 overall and 6-9 in the Big West.
Cal State Northridge falls to 24-20, 6-9.
Edelstein capped a big weekend with three more hits on Sunday, his third three-hit game of the weekend, with a run and an RBI. For the three game series the junior from San Carlos went 9-for-14 with a home run, two RBI and four runs scored.
Meaux allowed 10 hits and four runs (three earned) in his seven innings, but got outs when he needed to. CSUN stranded 11 runners – but no three were bigger than in the eighth inning.
With the bases loaded and UCSB leading 5-4, David Meals was called upon to face the Matadors’ Ryan Pineda, who entered the game batting .330 with 12 home runs and 53 RBI.
Meals struck out Pineda to end the threat and then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth after the Gauchos scored three times in the eighth to preserve the victory. It was Meals’ third save of the season.
Meaux improves to 7-3 this season.
Gunnar Terhune, Derek Eligio and Trevor Whyte all had two hits for the Gauchos as UCSB rapped out 14 on the day and had a leadoff runner on in every inning but one.
The Gauchos scored three runs in the fourth inning to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Down 2-1 entering the frame, Sean Williams walked and Edelstein singled to put runners on the corners.
Dan Camou’s ground out scored Williams before an error and a wild pitch eventually scored Edelstein. Eligio’s single capped off the scoring.
The Gauchos preserved a 5-3 lead in the sixth when CSUN opened with a pair of singles and had runners on the corners when Drew Muren stole third base. However, Dominic Piazza popped up to shallow center field and Williams made a nice catch then threw a bullet home to get Muren trying to score on the play.
The Gauchos travel to Pepperdine on Tuesday and then have a three-game road series at UC Irvine next weekend. All three games can be heard on AM 1490 and can be heard live online by clicking here and will be broadcast on AM 1490.
The Gauchos return home for their final weekend series on May 21 when they host UC Davis.
