Feb. 19, 2008

UC Davis 6, Saint Mary's 2 (Game 1)
UC Davis 11, Saint Mary's 3 (Game 2)

DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis used a big inning in each game to sweep a doubleheader from Saint Mary's Tuesday afternoon at La Rue Field. The Aggies defeated the Gaels, 6-2, in the first game by scoring all of their runs in the third inning. In the second game, UC Davis overcame a 3-1 deficit with 10 runs in the fifth inning to win 11-3. Julie Stauder drove in four runs, and Sarah Axelson had three RBIs for the Aggies. In the circle, Jessica Hancock and Alex Holmes each picked up wins. UC Davis extended its winning streak to three and improved to 7-5 overall. Saint Mary's fell to 1-4.

UC Davis batted around in the third game of game one, sending 10 batters to the plate. Lindsey Jones led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Michelle Espiritu. Trish Paine followed with a sharp line-out to third, and it appeared the Gaels might get out of the inning unscathed. Instead, the next six Aggies reached base.

Stauder singled through the middle to drive in Espiritu with the first run. Tracy Dean singled, and Deanna Menapace walked to load the bases. A single by Erin Emde drove in two more and put the Aggies in front 3-0. Sarah O'Neill walked to load the bases again, and Axelson laced a three-run double to left center to make it 6-0.

Hancock improved to 4-3 with a complete-game five-hitter. She allowed a single in each of the first three innings before allowing two runs in the top of the seventh. Hancock struck out 11 and walked four.

UC Davis took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of game two as a result of a two-out fielding error that allowed O'Neill to score. The Gaels responded with a run in the third and two more in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead, which lasted into the bottom of the fifth. At that point, the Aggies had been held to just three hits.

That all changed as UC Davis exploded for 10 runs on nine hits. Paine was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in the first run of the inning. Stauder followed with a three-run triple to give the Aggies a 5-3 lead. Menapace added an RBI-double before a run-scoring single by O'Neill made it 7-3. A walk to Jenny Corbett loaded the bases again, and Jones delivered a two-run single to give UC Davis a 9-3 lead. Espiritu and Paine followed with RBI-singles, clinching the 11-3 victory for the Aggies.

Holmes allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings of work. She struck out three and walked two.

UC Davis finished the day with 17 runs on 18 hits. Espiritu went 4-for-4 in game two and 4-for-6 combined. O'Neill finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored.

UC Davis is next in action Saturday when it faces Cal State Bakersfield and Providence on the second day of the UC Davis Invitational. The Aggies will also take on the Dutch National Team on Saturday in an exhibition. The tournament begins Friday morning at La Rue Field.