Batting

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara mounted threats in both the sixth and seventh innings in Sunday's series finale with Cal State Northridge at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, but couldn't overcome a three-run deficit as the Matadors took an eventual 4-1 sweep-avoiding win.

As it was UCSB's final home tilt of the season, seniors Cameron Cuneo, Jackson Morrow, Travis Israel, and Joey Epperson were honored in a pregame ceremony. The mothers of all players on the team were then invited to join the Gauchos along the third base line for the national anthem in honor of Mother's Day.

Unfortunately for the Gauchos (25-19-1, 9-12 Big West), the good tidings ended soon after the pregame festivities, as the Matadors (18-32, 6-12) parlayed three hits and three UCSB errors into a three-runtop of the first inning.

The frame spoiled what was an otherwise solid start from Gauchos freshman righty Shane Bieber, who ended the day with one earned run allowed (four total) in four-plus innings of work.

Bieber was aided by a third-inning double play, but otherwise scattered hits throughout innings two through four. He only ran into trouble again in the fifth, when the Matadors were able to string together back-to-back base hits to start the inning.

In the meantime, UCSB struggled to answer back against CSUN starter Jordan Johnson, who allowed just one run on six hits in a six-inning outing. The righty retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced, keeping the Gauchos bats mostly quiet through the first five innings of the game.

Johnson's sole blemish came in