UCSB won its seventh straight game Saturday, riding a four-run fifth inning to a 7-2 win over Cal State Fullerton in the second game of a three-game homestand series.
On the mound, Mike Gutierrez went 5.1 innings, scattering five hits and striking out nine, for his third win against one loss.
Matt Ager tossed 2.2 innings of one-hit, scoreless ball, and Alex Schrier finished off with a one-run ninth.
On the offensive end the Gauchos outhit the Titans 12-7 and saw home runs by Broc Mortensen, Jordan Sprinkle, and Nick Vogt.
With the win, the 25th-ranked Gauchos are 2-0 in Big West play and 12-4 overall.
John Newman Jr. had a career-night with the bat going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Jason Willow went 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, and a run.
Much like game one, neither team’s offense was able to break through until the fifth inning. It was the Titans striking first collecting an RBI single but Gutierrez stranded two runners with back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam.
Down 1-0, the Gauchos quickly answered in the bottom half of the fifth with four runs to take the lead.
Zander Darby tied the game with an RBI single on a full count to score Newman Jr. and Jordan Sprinkle gave UCSB its first lead collecting a sac-fly to bring in Jason Willow. Up next was Mortensen who crushed a two-run, no-doubter over the right field wall to make it 4-1.
Another run came across in the bottom of the sixth as Willow collected a two-triple to score Newman Jr. and the seventh brought two more in as both Sprinkle and Nick Vogt sent solo homers over the left field wall to extend the lead to 7-1.
Cal State Fullerton brought the final run of the game in the ninth but that would be all as the Gauchos took the game 7-2.
The Gauchos will look for the series sweep Sunday in game three at Caesar Uyesaka. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.