Gauchos grind out 21st straight home win and get payback on Pepperdine

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - It's an ugly win but the Gauchos 21-0 home record is beautiful to UCSB fans.

The Gauchos held off struggling Pepperdine 7-5 in a game it seemed UCSB would blow open at any given moment but they left 12 men on base.

Matt Ager recorded his seventh save of the season as he ended the game by getting a groundout to first with the bases loaded.

In late February the Waves stunned UCSB in Malibu with a 6-run ninth inning to win 10-9.

But since that game the Gauchos have won 29 of 37 games and are 32-12 overall.

Brendan Durfee, Jessada Brown and Nick Oakley each had two hits for UCSB.

Justin Trimble snapped a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning with a long single to left-center to score Jonathan Mendez.

Trimble scored later in the inning on a Durfee soft-single to left.

Big West-leading UCSB plays at Cal State Bakersfield in a 3-game series starting Friday.

Former Westmont College star Brady Renck had two hits and drove in 2 runs for Pepperdine who dropped their 12th straight game to fall to 12-33.