Backed by an impressive pitching performance from redshirt freshman Mario Hollands, UCSB‘s offense continued its season-long assault on opposing pitchers Saturday at USC. The combination resulted in a 23-2 shellacking of the Trojans.

USC (19-18) was actually the first to score, putting up a run in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded, Mike Roskopf grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Nick Buss to put the Trojans in front, 1-0. It would be the only run Hollands surrendered, as the freshman southpaw breezed through the USC lineup over the next five frames.

Hollands (4-2) earned his fourth win on the year, allowing only one run on nine hits in six solid innings of work. He struck out five and walked only three, lowering his ERA to 3.13.

UCSB (26-11) caught fire in the top of the third inning, scoring five times on five hits. Third baseman Patrick Rose led off the inning with a single to right. After Steve Cook singled to center, Brian Gump came to the plate with one out and runners on the corners. Gump lined a double down the left field line, scoring Rose from third for UCSB’s first run of the game. Chris Fox added to the attack with a two-run single past second base. Catcher Chris McMurray followed in similar fashion, capping the five-run third with a two-run single to right field.

The Gauchos struck again in the fifth, scoring a pair of runs to increase their lead to 7-1. With Eric Oliver on first, Mike Zuanich launched a two-run home run over the left field wall, his 11th of the year and his sixth in the last six games. After hitting three bombs against Westmont on Tuesday, Zuanich added his fourth of the week in the fifth inning.

Far from finished, UCSB scored seven times in the top of the sixth, highlighted by Rose’s bases-clearing double. The double to left scored Shane Carlson, Zuanich and Oliver to increase the Gauchos’ lead to 11-1. With Gunnar Terhune on base, Cook, a junior transfer from SBCC, launched a two-run homer to straightaway center field. After six, UCSB was comfortably ahead, 14-1.

The UCSB carousel continued in the seventh, as a total of 13 batters came to the plate. Three consecutive walks by Trojans reliever Danny Beck loaded the bases with one out. Chris McCaffery came on in relief of Beck, but couldn’t stop the bleeding. McMurray greeted McCaffery with an RBI single through the left side, pushing the Gauchos lead to 15-1. Rose also walked in the following at-bat, scoring Zuanich from third. An RBI single from pinch-hitter John DeAlba, a fielder’s choice RBI from pinch-hitter Robby Cummings, and an RBI single from Gump, extended the Gauchos’ advantage to 19-1.

UCSB reliever Clayton Edwards came on in relief of Hollands, allowing the second Trojans run of the game in the bottom half of the seventh.

After the Gauchos scored three more times in the eighth and once in the ninth, relievers Matt Wade and Patrick McIntyre each pitched perfect eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to seal the win.

Every Gauchos starter recorded at least one hit, and every batter to enter the game with the exception of two pinch-hitters, recorded at least one RBI.

Every Trojans pitcher surrendered at least two earned runs. Six USC pitchers combined to walk 10 batters on the day. Brad Boxberger (2-2) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings.

The 23-run effort marked the second highest total for the Gauchos this season. On Tuesday, UCSB scored 26 runs against cross-town rival Westmont. On the week, the Gauchos have scored an otherworldly 54 runs on 56 hits in three games. UCSB has now scored 307 runs on the season, an average of 8.3 a game.

Rose led the charge, going 3-for-5, with four runs scored and four RBIs. McMurray was 2-for-4 with one run scored and three RBIs. Gump was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBIs. DeAlba, a junior transfer from SBCC playing for the first time in three weeks, was 2-for-2 with three RBIs off the bench.

Click here for Saturday’s official box score and play-by-play.

UCSB returns home to play the series finale against USC at 1 p.m. Sunday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.