UC Riverside exploded for a six-run fourth inning and it was enough for the Highlanders to take Sunday’s game – and thus, the Big West series – from UCSB, 10-3.
Jesse Meaux, who pitched a pearl of a game last Sunday at Long Beach State, was roughed up for eight runs and 12 hits in four innings as the Highlanders scored all six runs in the fourth with two outs.
The loss drops the Gauchos to 19-19 overall and 5-7 in the Big West. UCR improves to 23-14, 7-5.
After UCSB cut the score to 2-1 on Gunnar Terhune’s sacrifice fly that scored Lance Roenicke, UCR opened the game up.
Four straight two-out hits to center field – the last a two-run double by Justin Shults – scored four runs before Tony Nix hit a two-run home run to left field to finish up the damage.
UCSB tried to chip away, though.
Trevor Whyte hit the first pitch of the fourth inning for his third home run of the season and in the fifth Matt Valaika singled in Roenicke. However, with runners on the corners, Whyte flied out.
Whyte finished 2-for-4 while Valaika and Mark Haddow also had two hits apiece.
The Gaucho bullpen, which entered the game having allowed just one earned run in its past 17.1 innings pitched, was again solid. Nick Loredo, Connor Whalen andDavid Meals combined to allow two earned runs in five innings of work on Sunday.
UCSB will travel to Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. game before hosting Cal State Northridge in a three-game weekend series beginning next Friday at 2 p.m.
