Gauchos Secure Series Win Over Long Beach State, Checketts Reaches Milestone

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos defeated the Long Beach State Dirtbags 7-4 on Saturday night, securing a series win and marking head coach Andrew Checketts’ 500th victory at the helm of the program. Checketts joins Kathy Gregory and Ken Preston as the only head coaches in UC Santa Barbara history to reach 500 wins .

How It Happened

Long Beach State started strong, scoring two runs in the first inning, mirroring Friday night’s game. However, UCSB quickly responded. Starting pitcher Nathan Aceves battled through traffic on the basepaths, and Donovann Jackson relieved him effectively. Aceves recorded his fifth strikeout of the night to end a threat in the third inning.

Jackson entered the game with two runners on and one out in the fourth, allowing a run on a sacrifice fly but pitching into the eighth inning. He struck out the side in the fifth and picked off a runner attempting to steal second.

The Gaucho offense chipped away at the Long Beach lead, starting with a solo home run from Noah Karliner in the second inning. Nick Husovsky’s double in the third tied the game, followed by a ground-rule double from Jonathan Mendez that scored two runs, giving UCSB a 4-2 lead.

Long Beach State narrowed the gap to 4-3 in the fourth and tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth. Jackson finished his outing with a scoreless seventh, and Raymond Olivas was brought in to close the game. With facilitate from a diving play by Husovsky at first base, Olivas ended the inning.

The Gauchos rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Mendez reached first on a wild pitch after a leadoff single, and William Vasseur was hit by a pitch. Another wild delivery allowed Mendez to score, and then Colin Beazizo hit his first home run as a Gaucho – a 444-foot drive to right center – to extend the lead to 7-4.

Olivas allowed only a two-out single in the ninth, and Rowan Kelly sealed the victory with a catch in center field.

Up Next

The Gauchos will aim for a series sweep on Sunday, March 8, at 1:05 p.m. Against Long Beach State. Santa Barbara native and former Dirtbag Kellan Montgomery will start for UCSB, opposing Jason Gerfers .