Feb. 19, 2006

Final Stats

DAVIS, Calif. - Utah scored three unearned runs in the top of the ninth-inning to break a 6-6 tie on its way to a 9-6 victory over UC Davis Sunday at Dobbins Stadium. The Aggies had erased an earlier three-run deficit before the fateful final inning. Lukas Kirby homered for UC Davis, and Tyler LaTorre, Jacob Jefferies and Dan Baldini each collected two hits on the day. The loss drops UC Davis to 5-4 on the year while Utah improves to 4-5.

Utah started the game with a run in each of the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the second. LaTorre led off the second with an infield single and came around to score with one out on a double by Jefferies that made the score 2-1.

The score remained 2-1 into the bottom of the fourth when the Aggies tied it up on Kirby's lead-off home run to right field, his first of the season. In the fifth, Baldini led off with an infield single and later scored on a wild pitch to give UC Davis its first lead of the day at 3-2.

The lead would be short-lived as the Utes would put up four runs in the sixth. The rally started with two outs and no one on. The big blow was a two-out, two-run homer by Erich Kemp that put Utah up 4-3. The inning was extended on a throwing error that later led to a two-run single by Tyler Kmetko to make it 6-3.

In the seventh, the Aggies edged closer with a pair of runs. The first came home on a two-out run-scoring single by David Huffman to pull the Aggies within 6-4. Jimmy Goetz would later score on an error to cut the deficit down to 6-5.

In the eighth, Baldini provided a clutch RBI-single with two outs to drive in Jeremy McChesney with the game-tying run heading into the ninth.

In the ninth, Bret Baldwin reached on a fielding error. With one out, John Welsh doubled to left center to drive in Corey Shimada with the go-ahead run. A sacrifice fly followed by a double-steal helped the Utes score two more times to account for the final score.

"You can't win a series playing sloppy baseball," said UC Davis head coach Rex Peters. "Both big innings Utah had we gave them more than three outs. You have to give them credit. At this level, there's a fine line between winning and losing."

Justin Fitzgerald started for the Aggies and went five and two-thirds innings, allowing eight hits. He gave up six runs, four earned, and struck out four. Nik Aurora (1-1) suffered the loss in relief, pitching two innings and allowing three unearned runs. Brad DeVore (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Utes.

Utah outhit UC Davis, 12-10, and five of its nine runs were unearned.

UC Davis is next in action Tuesday when it hosts San Francisco at 2:00 p.m. at Dobbins Stadium.