UC Santa Barbara pounded out 11 runs and 16 hits as the Gauchos defeated the Sacramento State baseball team, 11-1, Sunday afternoon at Ceasar Uyesaka Stadium. The Hornets fell to 8-8 on the season while the Gauchos increased their record to 8-9.UC Santa Barbara jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first with two RBI hits, a hits batsman with the bases loaded and an error. Matt Stevens began the inning with a double down the left field line and Dan Wilkerson reached on an error by junior John Acha at third. With two outs, Bill Rowe drove in Stevens with a single to center field. After hitting Chad Ziemendorf to load the bases, senior Steve Cuckovich hit Brian Adams to drive in another run. In the next at-bat, Chad Emerick drove in two more runs with a double down the left field line. Emerick scored the final run of the inning on a failed pick-off attempt by Cuckovich that went down the right field line.
The Gauchos made it 8-0 after three innings with a sacrifice fly by Taylor Vogt in the second and a two-run home run by Adams in the third.
Sacramento State got on the scoreboard in the fifth after an RBI single by Acha. Freshman Jim Strombach and sophomore Everet Rincon began the inning with consecutive singles before Acha lined a base hit to right field with two out.
UC Santa Barbara increased the lead to 11-1 in the sixth after an RBI single by Ziemendorf and a two-run double by Adams.
Matt Vasquez (2-1) earned the win for the Gauchos after allowing only one run on five hits while striking out five and walking only one batter in six innings.
Cuckovich (2-1) was charged with his first loss of the season after allowing five runs (none earned) on three hits in one inning of work. Five Hornets recorded a hit in the contest.
Sacramento State will next host Nevada on Tuesday, March 4, at 2 p.m. at Hornet Field.
Sacramento State (8-8) 000 010 00 - 1 5 5
UC Santa Barbara (8-9) 512 003 00 - 11 16 1
WP - Matt Vasquez (2-1)
LP - Steve Cuckovich (2-1)
Steve Cuckovich, Andy Mohr, James Wheeler, Joe Guntz, Warren Rosebrock and Corey Watts. Matt Vasquez, Mike Sutherland, Alex McRobbie and Chad Ziemendorf. TOP HITTERS- SAC- Mikela Olsen 1x2, Everet Rincon 1x2. UCSB-Matt Stevens 3x5, 2B, Nate Sutton 2x5, Taylor Vogt 2x3, Bill Rowe 2x5, Brian Adams 2x3, HR, 2B.
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