Behind an explosive day from the Gaucho offense that included 25 runs on 30 hits, UC Santa Barbara capped off the weekend by sweeping their third straight Big West opponent.

The two wins gave Head Coach Jo Evans her 1,400th career win and 100th at UC Santa Barbara.

UCSB 14, UC Riverside 4 (F/6)

Malaya Johnson started in the circle and picked up the win for UC Santa Barbara. The right-hander went 5.2 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits, allowing no walks and striking out four.

Bella Fuentes went 2-for-4 with a home run in addition to her four RBIs for the Gauchos. Tehya Banks furnished a noteworthy performance at the plate as well, going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and three RBIs while finishing a home run shy of the cycle. 

Delaina Ma’ae also contributed for the Gauchos, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a home run and two RBIs.

The Gauchos got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the top of the first inning. The Gauchos’ offense started clicking and put up four runs, including a two-run home run off the bat of Ma’ae.

The Gauchos then held the Highlanders scoreless before getting back on the board the very next inning. UCSB plated two runs off of UC Riverside pitching, punctuated by a run-scoring double off the bat of Banks, which brought the score to 6-0 in favor of the Gauchos.

UC Riverside narrowed Santa Barbara’s lead to 6-3 before the Gauchos stretched the advantage to 10-3 in the fifth inning. UC Santa Barbara’s bats heated up in the inning, scoring four runs, including a two-run homer off the bat of Banks.

UCSB held the Highlanders scoreless before their offense got in gear the next inning. A grand slam from Fuentes cashed in four runs in the frame for the Gauchos, bringing the score to 14-3.

UC Riverside put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but the Gauchos still coasted to the 14-4 win.

UCSB 11, UC Riverside 1 (F/5)

Ella Myers got the win in the circle for UC Santa Barbara. The right-hander threw 4.2 innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out three.

Bella Fuentes went 2-for-3 at the plate, supplementing her two home runs with five RBIs. Giselle Mejia added to Fuentes’ awesome power-hitting performance by going 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Tehya Banks also helped out for the Gauchos, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

The Gauchos got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning. UCSB’s offense started clicking and put up six runs, including a three-run home run off the bat of Fuentes and a two-run double from Mejia.

The Highlanders then cut the deficit to five, narrowing the lead to 6-1 until the Gauchos expanded their advantage in the second. Fuentes launched her second home run of the game and third of the day after her two-run shot, which brought the score to 8-1 in favor of the Gauchos.

Santa Barbara held UC Riverside without a run before building their lead to 9-1 the following inning. The Gauchos scored once on an RBI single.

The Gauchos kept the Highlanders scoreless before building on their lead in the fifth inning. The Gauchos scored twice, with one run coming across on Waddell’s two-out single, bringing the score to 11-1 in favor of UCSB. The score remained 11-1 for the rest of the game, as the Gauchos coasted to the win.

The Gauchos will stay in Riverside as they take on California Baptist on Tuesday, March 24 at 5:30 p.m. to wrap up their seven-game road stretch. The game against the Lancers will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats available.