No. 25 UC Santa Barbara lost its first conference basebal series of the season Sunday afternoon, falling to No. 23 UC Irvine in the weekend finale 7-2 at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium
JD Callahan earned the start for the Gauchos but would only go 2.1 innings. He allowed four earned runs on three hits and three walks. Conner Roberts tossed the next 3.1 and was solid early. The Anteaters, however, scored three runs off him in the sixth. Conner Dand pitchd a scoreless l 3.1 innings. He struck out three.
On the offensive end, Zach Rodriguez led the way with his sixth three-hit game of the season, going 3-for-4. Gianni Bloom went 2-for-4 and drove in both UCSB runs.
The Anteater bats got going early, scoring three runs in the first. They added a run the fourth.
The Gauchos scratched out a run in the bottom half, with Broc Mortensen getting hit by a pitch and advancing to second on sac-bunt from Steele Ledford. Bloom cranked a single to center field to score Mortensen.
Bloom struck again, notching a two-out RBI to put the Gauchos within two at 4-2.
The Anteaters scored three more in the sixth to secure the win 7-2.
UCSB has a bye week in the Big West. The Gauchos will play a home-and-home series with UCLA.