BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Interstat) — Corey Nunez drove in three runs and a quartet of UC Santa Barbara pitchers combined to strand eight Cal State Bakersfield runners as the Gauchos held off the Roadrunners 4-3 on Saturday afternoon at Hardt Field.

Nunez, the Gauchos’ shortstop, went 3 for 5 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs, powering UC Santa Barbara to its second straight win in the Big West series. The Gauchos improved to 29-15 overall and 29-15 in all competitions, while the Roadrunners fell to 19-26.

UC Santa Barbara jumped ahead in the first inning without a hit. Leadoff batter Jayson Barrett was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a throwing error by Roadrunners pitcher Ethan Minaker on a failed pickoff attempt. Nunez then doubled to left-center, scoring Barrett. After a strikeout, Jeter Vasseur singled to put runners on the corners, and Kolby Kelly’s sacrifice bunt brought home Nunez to make it 2-0.

Cal State Bakersfield answered in the bottom of the first. First baseman Evan Cloyd led off with a solo home run to left, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Roadrunners put two more runners on but could not score, leaving the bases loaded after a single and a fielder’s choice erased a runner.

The Gauchos extended their lead in the second. With two outs, Nolan Esquer reached on a fielding error by third baseman Kevin Wilkes, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored when Barrett was hit again and Nunez singled to center for a 3-1 advantage.

UC Santa Barbara tacked on another run in the fourth. Barrett singled to right-center and came home on Nunez’s second double of the game, a line drive down the left-field line that made it 4-1.

Meanwhile, Gauchos pitchers Calvin Proskey, Cole Tryba, AJ Krodel and Chase Hoover kept the Roadrunners in check through the middle innings. Proskey worked four innings, allowing no hits and one earned run while striking out two. Tryba followed with 3 1/3 hitless innings, fanning six and allowing one unearned run. Krodel faced one batter and did not record an out before Hoover closed with 1 2/3 scoreless frames, striking out two.

The Roadrunners mounted their most serious threat in the eighth. With two outs and Bennett Roper on first after a walk, Jonathan Mascaro walked to put two on. Krodel replaced Tryba, and a passed ball advanced both runners before Wilkes II doubled to left-center, scoring both to pull Cal State Bakersfield within 4-3. Hoover entered and struck out the next batter, then got a groundout to end the inning.

In the ninth, the Roadrunners went down in order. May struck out swinging, Cloyd grounded out to shortstop and Wilkes popped out to shortstop to end the game.

Minaker took the loss for Cal State Bakersfield, allowing five hits and three earned runs over 4 1/3 innings while striking out five. Brock Adamson pitched two hitless innings with four strikeouts in relief.

Nunez entered the game batting .337 after recent outings that included a 1-for-4 effort in Friday’s 18-1 win over the Roadrunners and a 3-for-4 game against UCLA on April 28. He had gone 1 for 4 and 0 for 4 in two losses to Cal State Fullerton the previous weekend.

The Saturday victory was the Gauchos’ second in a row and set up a series finale Sunday at Hardt Field.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of 6-5 in favor of UC Santa Barbara, and Interstat’s ELO system gave the Gauchos an 85.00 percent probability to win.