SACRAMENTO, Calif. — UC Santa Barbara's Veronika Gulvin needed just 91 pitches to throw a four-hit shutout as the Gauchos defeated Sacramento State, 4-0, on Tuesday afternoon at Shea Stadium.

Gulvin issued just two walks, faced four batters over the minimum, and was in control the entire way. In fact, Gulvin had faced just one batter over the minimum during the first six innings before the Hornets loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh. All four hits allowed were singles and Sacramento State's Nos. 5-9 hitters were a combined 0-for-10. Today's game marked just the third time the Hornets have been shut out all season.

UC Santa Barbara won its sixth straight game while improving to 18-14. The Hornets, who were playing the first of just two remaining non-conference games currently on the regular season schedule, dropped to 11-15-1 with the loss. Sacramento State will jump back into Big Sky Conference play later this week when the Hornets (1-1 in league) host a three-game series vs. Idaho State. The Hornets and Bengals will play a doubleheader on Friday at noon, followed by a single game on Saturday at noon.

Sacramento State's only threats came in the third inning with two outs, and in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and two outs. In the third inning, Shelby Johnston drew a leadoff walk and eventually got all the way to third base, but Gulvin (12-6) got Zamari Hinton to fly out to center field and end the threat. In the seventh inning, singles by Nene Alas and Mo Spieth, and a walk to pinch hitter Tiffany Moore loaded the bases with two outs, but Johnston popped out to end the game.

The Hornets were shut out for the first time in 10 games, as Sacramento State had combined for 50 runs over that stretch prior to this evening. Of the four Sacramento State hits, two came from Alas who went 2-for-3. Hinton and Spieth provided the other hits. First baseman Jessica Ravetti, who is riding a seven-game hitting streak, injured herself catching a popup in foul territory in the second inning and did not return.

The Gauchos scored twice in both the first and sixth innings. In the first, UC Santa Barbara touched up Hornet starter Taylor Tessier for a pair of two-out runs coming via RBI-single from Jacqueline Hinojosa and a wild pitch allowing Melanie Menor to score. In the sixth, the Gauchos took advantage of a huge Sacramento State error to score a pair of unearned runs on a two-run double from Kayla Krantz.

Tessier (4-5) pitched well, but got the loss while allowing four hits and four runs (two earned) over six innings of work. Savanna Corr worked a perfect inning of relief in the seventh.

The Hornets used 16 different players in today's game.