SANTA BARBARA, Calif.— Errors and strong Matador pitching plagued No. 25 UCSB Sunday afternoon as the Gauchos were unable to complete the sweep dropping the series finale to CSUN 7-3. 

UCSB drops to 21-9 with an 11-4 conference record while CSUN improves to 6-10 in both categories.

JD Callahan earned his third straight Sunday start for UCSB and had a fair outing tossing five innings and allowing just two earned runs while striking out five. He would earn the loss on the day for allowing the Matadors a lead in the second inning that they would not relinquish. Unfortunately, two Gaucho errors occurred in that frame as well.

Up 2-0 in the sixth CSUN capitalized on a sac-fly and another Gaucho error to extend its lead to 4-0.

The Gauchos were quick to respond in the bottom half of the inning with Gianni Bloom and Jordan Sprinkle collecting a pair of singles to get aboard. Next to plate was the Big West's home run leader, Broc Mortensen, doing what he does best and sending a bomb over the right field wall. His eighth homer of the year cut the CSUN lead to 4-3.

Unfortunately for the Gauchos, the Matadors matched them with a three-run seventh to make it 7-3, a lead that the host team could not come back from.

Two zeros would be hung on the board after that by Conner Roberts, who closed out the game, but the Gauchos bats could not get going as CSUN's Blaine Traxel notched a complete-game win.

Christian Kirtley was the sole Gaucho to notch a multi-hit game going 2-for-4. Five different Gauchos contributed to the team's six hits.

UCSB will now head out on an eight-game road trip that begins at UC San Diego.