IRVINE, Calif. (Interstat) — UC San Diego pitcher Nathan Ries threw a complete-game, four-hit shutout Saturday evening at Anteater Ballpark, leading the Tritons to a 7-0 Big West victory over UC Santa Barbara.

Ries worked all nine innings, striking out four batters without allowing an earned run. He faced 30 Gaucho hitters and did not walk anyone until the seventh inning. The performance was a sharp turnaround from his previous start May 16 against Cal State Fullerton, when he allowed four earned runs in four innings, and more in line with his May 10 outing at Cal State Bakersfield, where he allowed one run in four innings.

The Tritons gave Ries all the support he needed in the first inning. After UC Santa Barbara starter Kellan Montgomery issued two hit by pitches and a walk to load the bases with one out, Alex Leopard singled down the left-field line to drive in the first run. A subsequent fielder’s choice was followed by two throwing errors — one by Montgomery and one by first baseman Kirk Vasseur — that allowed four more unearned runs to score, giving UC San Diego a 5-0 lead before the Gauchos recorded a second out.

Montgomery lasted four innings, allowing three earned runs on no hits with two strikeouts and five walks. The Gauchos turned to Van Froling, who pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, then Josh Jannicelli, who struck out three in 1 2/3 hitless innings, and Nathan Aceves, who fanned two in a clean eighth inning. But UC Santa Barbara’s offense could not solve Ries.

The Gauchos managed only four hits in the game. Third baseman Xavier Esquer had two of them, a single in the second and a single in the fourth. Catcher Porter Vasseur singled in the second, and left fielder Reiss Barrett singled in the third. UC Santa Barbara put only one runner in scoring position — in the second inning, when Vasseur advanced to third after Esquer’s bunt single, but was stranded there as Ries struck out Anthony Karliner to end the threat.

UC San Diego added two more runs in the fourth inning. With two outs and runners on second and third after a walk and a hit by pitch, Addison Klepsch singled to center field to drive in both runners, extending the lead to 7-0. Klepsch finished with two RBIs. Leopard went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Nathaniel Widelski was 1-for-3.

The Tritons defense turned a double play in the fifth and another in the seventh to keep the Gauchos off balance. Ries retired the side in order in the first, third, fifth, sixth and eighth innings.

UC Santa Barbara fell to 38-18 overall and 15-12 in the Big West. UC San Diego improved to 26-27 overall and 11-16 in conference play. The Gauchos had won four of their previous five games before Saturday, including a 7-4 win over Cal State Fullerton two days earlier. The Tritons had split their last two, beating Cal State Fullerton 5-1 on Friday before losing 1-0 to Cal Poly on Thursday.

The two teams had split a three-game series earlier this season at UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos won the first and third games, while the Tritons won the middle game in 11 innings.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of UC Santa Barbara 7, UC San Diego 6. Interstat’s ELO system had given UC Santa Barbara a 72.30 percent probability to win.