SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Interstat) — Colin Beazizo’s two-run homer capped a three-run eighth inning as UC Santa Barbara rallied to defeat Long Beach State 7-4 in a Big West Conference game Saturday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.

The Gauchos (11-2, 2-0 Big West) scored all three of their eighth-inning runs with two outs to break a 4-4 tie and secure their seventh consecutive victory. The Dirtbags fell to 4-10 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the bottom of the eighth. With the score tied, UC Santa Barbara’s Nathan Mendez led off with a single and advanced to third after a strikeout and a groundout. After a hit-by-pitch put runners on the corners, Long Beach State reliever Ka’imi Kahalekai unleashed a wild pitch that allowed Mendez to score the go-ahead run. On the very next pitch, Beazizo, who entered the game as a defensive replacement, drove a two-run home run to right-center field to provide critical insurance.

The late outburst made a winner of reliever Raymond Olivas (1-0), who tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Donovann Jackson was pivotal in relief for the Gauchos, entering with two on and one out in the fourth inning and stifling the Dirtbags’ offense. Jackson pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out five to bridge the game to the back of the bullpen.

Long Beach State had seized early control, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning against Gauchos starter Nathan Aceves. Trevor Goldenetz walked and Jake Evans singled before Trotter Enright delivered a two-run double. Two batters later, a passed ball allowed both runners to move into scoring position, though they were stranded.

UC Santa Barbara chipped away, getting a solo home run from Noah Karliner in the second inning. The Gauchos then tied the game in the third with a three-run rally off Dirtbags starter Luke Howe. Nick Husovsky had an RBI double and Nathan Mendez followed with a two-run, ground-rule double to knot the score at 4-4.

Howe did not allow a hit over his six-inning outing, but he was charged with four earned runs, walking six and striking out seven. The Dirtbags reclaimed a brief lead in the sixth when Goldenetz’s RBI single scored Aaron Perez, but the Gauchos’ bullpen combination of Jackson and Olivas held Long Beach State to just two hits over the final 5 2/3 innings.

Both teams finished with eight hits. Goldenetz and Mendez each had two hits and an RBI for their respective teams.

The victory extended UC Santa Barbara’s strong start to the season and followed a 4-3 win over Long Beach State in Friday’s series opener. The Gauchos entered the game with a 78.7% win probability according to Interstat’s ELO ratings, and the final score matched the simulator’s projection of a 7-3 UCSB victory.

The three-game series concludes Sunday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.