SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara Baseball team (21-10, 7-8) found its power stroke on Tuesday night, crushing three home runs and smacking four doubles in a 9-4 win over Pepperdine (8-24). Eight of the nine players in the Gaucho batting order recorded an RBI on Tuesday night, with Ian Fernandez, Xavier Esquer and Cole Kosciusko providing the long balls. On the mound, Frank Camarillo made his first start of the year and Nathan Aceves earned the win in relief of him. Stunner Gonzalez also made his collegiate debut.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a shaky start for the Gauchos, with the Waves scoring all of their runs in the first four innings. The visitors scratched one across in the first, a two-out single plating the opening run and putting runners on the corners. Pepperdine tried to manufacture another run with a double steal, sending the runner from first to draw a throw before sending the runner from third home. It worked in that the Gaucho catcher, Fernandez, threw down to second, but shortstop Corey Nunez made the heads-up play to return that throw to its sender in time to cut down the run and end the frame.
 
Camarillo set down the side in order in the second, striking out a pair, and Fernandez launched a solo home run just inside the foul pole in left field in the bottom half of that inning to tie the scores at one.
 
However, the Gauchos committed three errors in the top of the third, allowing two more Pepperdine runs to score as the visitors re-took the lead, 3-1. Aceves relieved Camarillo after those to tallies and got the three outs needed to end the inning.
 
Again, Santa Barbara sent the ball out of the yard in the bottom of the third, this time doing it twice. Esquer led off the frame with a shot deep into the eucalyptus trees behind left field, and two batters later, Kosciusko exited the yard to right center, re-tying the game at 3-3.
 
Aceves allowed one run in the fourth after a lead-off double but then gained control of the game, retiring the side in order in the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, the Gauchos seized the lead for good. Jonathan Mendez reached second base on a dropped fly ball to the fence in left center, then the doubles parade began. Nate Vargas doubled to right to score Mendez, then Rowan Kelly doubled to right center to score Vargas. After an out, Reiss Calvin picked it up, doubling to left center to score Kelly. Nunez then wrapped up the doubles party by hitting one to right center, scoring Calvin. That was not the end of the scoring in the inning though, as the Gauchos got aggressive on the basepaths and earned themselves another run. With two outs and Nunez still on second, LeTrey McCollum hustled down the line after a grounder to second, beating the throw for an infield single. Nunez had taken off running as soon as McCollum had put the ball in play and never stopped, rounding third and getting halfway to home before the Waves had even noticed. Nunez beat the throw home and Santa Barbara led, 8-4.
 
Nic Peterson took over on the mound for the sixth and picked up right where Aceves had left off, retiring Pepperdine in order, then AJ Krodel relieved him for the seventh and did the same thing. In the top of the eighth, Gonzalez took the mound for his first collegiate pitching work and he was not going to be the one to break the pattern, setting the Waves down one, two three.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, the Gauchos wreaked more havoc on the basepaths for their ninth run of the night, starting with McCollum again beating out an infield single to second base. This time, he got to take an extra base as the throw had sailed out of play. McCollum then caught the Pepperdine pitcher napping, stealing third before he had even started his windup. All McCollum's running made things easy for Kosciusko, who drove him home with a sacrifice fly to center.
 
Cole Tryba pitched the ninth for the Gauchos, striking out a pair of Waves to work around an infield single.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Tuesday evening was the fourth time that the Gauchos have hit three or more home runs in a game this season, but the first since Feb. 25. Santa Barbara's opponent that day was the same as Tuesday: Pepperdine.
• For Fernandez, his second-inning homer was the second of his collegiate career and his first at home. Both of his long balls this season have come in the last two Tuesdays.
• While Camarillo got the start on Tuesday, Aceves' appearance seemed almost inevitable; the rookie had started the last four Tuesday games for Santa Barbara and has a 1.64 ERA over 22 innings in seven mid-week appearances. In that time, he has struck out 27 hitters and issued just seven walks.
• McCollum's two infield singles extended his on-base streak to 27 games; he is hitting .308 on Tuesdays this season, but his overall batting average, a team-high .364, is even more impressive.

 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will hit the road and head to Riverside this weekend, where they will play four games: three against UC Riverside, April 11-13, and one against California Baptist on April 14. First pitch times are set for 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday and 5 p.m. Monday. All four games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with live stats and audio broadcasts available at ucsbgauchos.com.