LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — UC Santa Barbara defeated Cal State Northridge 8-4 on Friday at Matador Field in a Big West Conference game. The Gauchos improved to 32-15, while the Matadors fell to 24-24.

Chase Hoover was the top star for UC Santa Barbara, pitching 4.1 scoreless innings with no hits and three strikeouts. Rowan Kelly went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, and Liam Barrett also had three hits in six at-bats.

UC Santa Barbara broke the game open with four runs in the third inning. Nate Vargas walked with the bases loaded to force in a run, and Kelly followed with an RBI single. Liam Vasseur added a two-run single.

Cal State Northridge took an early lead. Matthew Thomas singled in a run in the first inning, and Kyle Panganiban added a two-run single in the second. Thomas homered in the fifth for the Matadors’ final run.

The Gauchos added three runs in the eighth on a fielding error, a sacrifice fly by Vargas, and an RBI single by Kelly. Jackson Flora pitched four innings with seven strikeouts for UC Santa Barbara, allowing four earned runs. Cody Carson tossed 1.1 scoreless innings for Northridge with two hits allowed.