The UCSB baseball team secured its second consecutive sweep of a Big West opponent, coming up with a pair of clutch runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to down UC San Diego, 8-7, on Saturday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
The Gauchos have now won six straight and impoved to 24-8 overall and 13-2 in the Big West record. Their only conference losses have gome in the final game of the series. UC San Diego fell to 12-22 with a 4-8 conference record.
Nick Oakley, Christian Kirtley and Blake Klassen all hit solo bombs, and the Gauchos racked up 11 hits. Kirtley, Oakley and center fielder Nick Vogt each tallied two hits.
But it was junior first baseman Kyle Johnson who came up with the biggest hit of the day Saturday, belting a fastball for a two-run single to right field in the eighth inning.
Johnson has registered a hit in 15 of his last 18 contests, racking up at least two hits in seven of those games.
UCSB was also aggressive in their base running, stealing four bases, including a double steal in the top of the eighth to get both runners in scoring position.
The Gauchos used six pitchers on Saturday, but no reliever tallied more than 26 pitches. Freshman right-hander Ryan Gallgher had a nice start, pitching five innings, allowing six hits, three runs, only one of which was earned. He struck out three batters.
Sophomore right-hander Ryan Harvey earned his ninth of the season, tops in the Big West best.
Harvey allowed a run in the top of the ninth inning, as Jalen Smith hit a two-out RBI single.
But Harve slammed the door on the Tritons, inducing Austin Smith to ground out and end the game.
The Gauchos started off hot, taking a 3-0 lead after two innings. Klassen got the scoring going with a solo homer in the first and Oakley hit his blast in the second. Vogt also scored on a wild pitch in the second.
UC San Diego would finally break through Gallagher in the fourth inning, scoring a pair of runs, thanks to an RBI double and a wild pitch.
Both teams would trade one run apiece in the fifth and sixth innings, giving the Gauchos a 5-4 lead headed into the seventh.
UCSB came up with some insurance in the bottom half, thanks to another a wild pitch.
UC San Diego looked to steal the contest in the eighth.
Michael Rice was called to try to mitigate the damage, but the Tritons hit a three-run bomb to tie the score at 6-6.
After an error and a walk, the Gauchos went to sophomore right-hander Sam Whitling, who came up clutch. He got the next two outs to end the inning.
The Gauchos regained the lead and held on in the ninth to sweep the series and remain in first place in the Big West.
UCSB will host UCLA on Tuesdasy in a big showdown of top-25 teams at 5:30 p.m.