A strong finish from junior Owen Taylor helped the Sacramento State men’s golf team to a third place finish in the UCSB Invitational at Sandpiper Golf Course in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Tuesday.

Taylor bounced back quickly from an opening round 74, shooting a 4-under 68 second round. After making back-to-back bogeys on holes eight and nine, Taylor got an eagle on 13 and a birdie on 16 to finish at 2-under on the day.

Taylor finished the tournament in first place.

Freshman Cody Bates came on strong in the third round to take a share of 15th place. Bates shot a 1-under 71 in the third round, after finishing the second round at 1-over par. This marked Bates third top-15 finish this year.

Another freshman for the Hornets stepped up, as Robert Parden finished in a tie for 17th place. Parden finished the tournament 4-over, after starting the first round off at 1-under par.

Seniors Jordan Swanson and Jordan Weir rounded things out for the Hornets. For both Swanson and Weir, it was the second round that inflated their scores. Swanson ended the tournament in a tie for 34th place, shooting 10-over. Weir finished tied for 41st place. In the second round, Weir shot 9-over par, including double bogeys on holes two and 18.

Consistency was the key for the Hornets in this tournament. They finished the tournament shooting 291 in rounds one and two, and 292 in the third.

Long Beach State and host UCSB, came on strong in the third round to upset the Hornets. Sac State had the first place lead throughout the majority of the day, but Long Beach State won by shooting a tournament low 286 to take first place. UCSB edged the Hornets by 1 stroke to secure second place.

The Hornets will have a quick turnaround, as they will head to Davis for the El Macero Classic. The tournament will begin on Friday, and will wrap up on Sunday.