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Ben's Big Day: Westwood Product Ben Johnson Goes 4-4 as Longhorns Sweep

Updated: Sunday, March 10 2013, 11:00 PM CDT

Freshman outfielder Ben Johnson (Austin/Westwood HS) went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a home run Sunday as the Texas Longhorns completed a three-game series sweep against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos with the 11-6 win at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Freshman catcher Jeremy Montalbano hit a three-run homer, his first collegiate hit, while collecting a team-high four RBI on the afternoon.

The Longhorns (10-5) produced a season high for runs in extending their modest four-game winning streak. Cameron Cox was credited for his first collegiate win with 1 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits.

Robby Nesovic led the Gauchos (8-7) with a 2-for-4 day and four RBI. Andrew Vasquez fell to 1-2 on the season after lasting only 1 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on one hit with three walks and one strikeout.

Johnson set the tempo early by leading off the Texas first with a solo homer to right. Montalbano later added a sacrifice fly as the Longhorns took a 2-0 lead after one inning and would hold onto the lead for the remainder of the game. RBI singles by C.J Hinojosa and Madison Carter made it a 4-0 margin in the third.

Tyler Kuresa reached on a two-base error by UT first baseman Codey McElroy and later scored the Gauchos' first run on Nesovic's groundout. The Longhorns would make it an eight-run lead as Montalbano's three-run blast to right capped a five-run fourth inning.

UCSB would make things interesting with three runs in the fifth as Nesovic hit a two-run single, but Texas would add a run in the sixth and seventh innings. Corey Knebel salted the game away with two no-hit innings.

Texas continues its eight-game homestand on Tuesday (March 12) against Oral Roberts at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on Longhorn Network with radio on AM 1300 The Zone. Gametracker live stats will be available on TexasSports.com with live Twitter updates @Texas_Baseball.

Notes: Erich Weiss recorded his 13th career triple, tying him for ninth on the UT all-time list with Doug Hodo (1983-86) and Mickey Reichenbach (1974-77)...today's 11 runs were the most since the Longhorns scored 12 in the second game of a doubleheader last season on May 12 against Texas Southern...needing a triple for the cycle, Ben Johnson had a chance in the seventh inning by hitting a deep fly ball to right before settling for the double...the last Longhorn to hit for the cycle was Kyle Russell (April 24, 2007, vs. UTPA)...Texas is now 4-2 all-time in baseball against UC Santa Barbara...with two hits today, Weiss now has seven multi-hit games on the season...C.J Hinojosa extended his team-high hitting streak to six games with a 1-for-4 day. Ben's Big Day: Westwood Product Ben Johnson Goes 4-4 as Longhorns Sweep