April 8, 2006
Final Stats
DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis split a doubleheader with UC Riverside, Saturday afternoon, at La Rue Field. UCR took game one by a score of 8-2 before the Aggies came back with a 9-6 victory in the second game. Christina Grimm pitched a complete-game victory while going 3-for-6 on the day at the plate. The games began a three-game series between the two teams that concludes on Sunday.
UC Riverside (21-12) scored thee runs in the top of the first in game one before UC Davis (11-23) came back with one run in the third. With two outs and no one on, Belinda Paine was hit by a pitch and then stole second. Megan De La Hoya followed with an RBI-single to cut the lead to 3-1.
The Highlanders broke the game open with five more runs in the fourth inning. The big hit in the inning was a two-run single by Danira Iolamo with one out that made it 7-1. Two of the runs in the inning and three in the game were unearned. The Aggies added one more run in the sixth.
In game two, the Highlanders scored two unearned runs in the first inning to take another early lead. They both came home on a two-out bloop-double down the right field line by Iolamo.
UC Davis wasted little time in getting those runs back. In the bottom of the first, De La Hoya led off with a triple. After a walk to Julie Stauder and a groundout, Ashley Johnson lined a double down the left field line to drive in both De La Hoya and Stauder with the tying runs.
UCR scored two more unearned runs in the second as both came home on a pair of sacrifice flies to make it 4-2. That advantage would hold up until the bottom of the third.
That's when the Aggies scored four runs to take a 6-4 lead. The first came home on a bases loaded fielder's choice, allowing Johnson to reach base and giving her a third RBI in the game. Roxanne Hannan then doubled to left center to drive two more runs in to make it 5-4. The final run of the inning came across as a result of a throwing error.
In the fifth, a two-run double with two outs by Sarah O'Neill gave the Aggies an 8-4 cushion. The lead ballooned to 9-4 in the sixth inning when Nikki Sheldon laced an RBI-double to left center.
Grimm threw 161 pitches in outlasting the Highlanders. The complete game was her second of the season and improved her to 2-6 on the year. She allowed just two earned runs and gave up eight hits with five strikeouts.
"Christina had an excellent performance in the circle," said UC Davis head coach Karen Matteson-Yoder. "I was really pleased with her attack and fight, especially with us coming off a disappointing loss in game one. She showed good composure and had good command of her pitches."
De La Hoya went 4-for-8 on the day with two runs and a stolen base. Hannan collected two hits in five at bats while Paine stolen two bases to up her season total to 12 in as many attempts. Both games lasted 2 hours and 21 minutes.
The two teams will close out the series Sunday with a gametime scheduled for 12 p.m. at La Rue Field.
