SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—The UC Santa Barbara baseball team earned its third straight win Saturday night topping University of Illinois - Chicago 10-0 to claim the weekend series. Junior pitcher Zach Torra continued his incredible start to the 2020 season and junior second baseman Marcos Castanon had another excellent performance at the plate as the Gauchos collected their third shutout of the year.

Torra was up to his usual ways in his third start with Santa Barbara tossing seven shutout innings and allowing just two hits and two walks. He struck out 12 batters in the win and has now fanned 25 batters in his last two starts. 

Jorge Arellano Jr. and Noah Owen would come in and preserve the shutout finishing off the final two innings.

The Gauchos got on the board first with a big second inning that saw six runners cross home plate. The first pair came in on bases-loaded walks and sophomore Christian Kirtley broke the game wide open with a 2 RBI double to center to make it 4-0. Castanon capped off the inning with a single to center to drive in two more on his way to a 2-for-4 performance with a season-high five RBI.

One more would cross in the very next inning when freshman Nick Vogt collected an RBI groundout and Castanon put an exclamation point on the day capping off the Gaucho scoring in the fourth inning with a monster three-run shot over the left field wall, his fourth homer of the year.

Sophomore first baseman Kyle Johnson joined Castanon with two hits going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run.

UCSB will go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon at 11 a.m. taking on UIC for the third and final time.