AUSTIN, Texas (Interstat) — Nathan Aceves threw six innings of no-hit baseball and Rowan Kelly delivered a three-run homer in the eighth, leading UC Santa Barbara past Tarleton State 9-5 on Sunday afternoon in an NCAA tournament elimination game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

The Gauchos, who improved to 40-19, jumped on the Texans early with a two-run first inning that included an error by starting pitcher Brady Carter. After a walk to Kelly and a single by Broc Vasseur, Nate Vargas grounded out to advance the runners. Jonathan Mendez then reached on a throwing error that allowed Vasseur and Kelly to score unearned.

UC Santa Barbara extended its lead in the second inning. Cole Kosciusko homered to right-center, and Nick Karliner followed with a solo shot to left, making it 4-0. The Gauchos added another run in the fourth on a groundout by Kelly that scored Kosciusko, who had doubled.

Aceves dominated the Tarleton State lineup, striking out four and allowing no hits over six innings. He issued two walks, hit a batter and surrendered two earned runs, but the zero in the hit column kept the Texans at bay. He threw 92 pitches before departing.

Tarleton State (38-21) broke through in the third inning. Ryan Heinrich was hit by a pitch, Carson Lorch singled and Cade McCloud delivered an RBI single to center, cutting the deficit to 4-1. The Texans pulled within 4-3 in the seventh. With Aceves out, reliever Josh Hoover faced two batters before giving way to Josh Jannicelli. After a strikeout, Slade McCloud tripled to right field, scoring Robert Smeenk and Sebastian Guerra.

UC Santa Barbara answered decisively in the top of the eighth. With one out, Kosciusko singled, then Karliner struck out for the second out. Barrett doubled to left-center, putting runners at second and third. Kelly then crushed a 1-1 pitch over the right-center wall for his fourth RBI of the day, clearing the bases and stretching the lead to 7-3.

The Gauchos kept the pressure on. After Vasseur singled and stole second, Vargas doubled to left-center to drive in Vasseur, making it 8-3. Kosciusko finished the day 4-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored. Vargas added two hits and an RBI.

The Texans refused to quit. In the bottom of the ninth, pinch hitter Gage Guthmiller walked, and Jace Tatom doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Reliever Cole Tryba entered for UC Santa Barbara. Slade McCloud grounded out to second, scoring Guthmiller, and Heinrich singled to right to plate Tatom, cutting the lead to 9-5. But Tryba induced a 4-6-3 double play from Lorch to end the game.

UC Santa Barbara’s bullpen held on despite some tense moments. Jannicelli allowed two earned runs in 1 2/3 innings but was credited with the hold. Tryba earned the save with a scoreless inning.

For Tarleton State, Tai Phetluangsy threw three scoreless innings of relief, striking out one and allowing one hit. Karsen Davis worked 1 1/3 scoreless frames with three hits allowed. McCloud finished with three RBIs on a 1-for-5 day, including the triple.

The win avenged a 11-5 loss to Tarleton State on Friday, and set up a meeting with Texas later Sunday. The Longhorns defeated the Texans 16-2 on Saturday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of UC Santa Barbara 7, Tarleton State 6. The ELO system gave the Gauchos a 70.6 percent probability to win.