April 26, 2008

UC Davis 2, UC Santa Barbara 1 (Game 1)
UC Davis 4, UC Santa Barbara 1 (Game 2)

DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis swept UC Santa Barbara in a Big West Conference softball doubleheader, Saturday afternoon, at La Rue Field. The Aggies won the first game 2-1 before taking the second game, 4-1. The wins extended the Aggies' winning streak to four games and improved their overall record to 22-30. UC Davis evened its Big West mark at 7-7.

In the circle, Jessica Hancock and Alex Holmes collected complete-game victories as UC Davis won for the sixth time in its past eight Big West games. Ashley Johnson led UC Davis at the plate with a 3-for-5 effort on the day and drove in a run in each game. Julie Stauder went 2-for-6 with a pair of RBIs.

UC Davis scored a run in each of the first two innings of game one to take an early 2-0 lead. Trish Paine reached on an error to start the first and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Jessica Gonzalez. The next batter, Stauder, delivered an RBI-single to center to drive in Paine.

In the second inning, Erin Emde led off with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Michelle Espiritu. After Espiritu stole second, Johnson laced a double to left to drive in Espiritu with the second run.

The runs would prove to be all Hancock would need as she scattered seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk. The only UCSB run, which was unearned, scored in the fifth inning.

Hancock was able to work her way out of jams in the second and the seventh. In the second, with the Aggies leading 1-0, the Gauchos had runners at second and third with one out before Katie McWhirter struck out for the second out. After Priscilla Perez was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Nicole Churnock grounded out to end the inning.

In the top of the seventh, with UC Davis leading 2-1, UCSB had two on with one out before Hancock (15-17) forced a pair of groundouts to end the game.

UCSB outhit UC Davis, 7-6, in the first game. Gonzalez, Sarah O'Neill and Sarah Axelson also had hits for the Aggies.

In the second game, the Aggies manufactured a run in the first inning to once again grab the early lead. Paine led off with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout. She then stole third with Stauder at the plate, who then singled up the middle to drive in Paine with the game's first run.

The score would remain 1-0 into the bottom of the fifth when UC Davis scored three more times. With one out and the bases loaded, O'Neill drew a walk to force home Paine to make it 2-0. Emde followed with an RBI-single to drive in Gonzalez to up the lead to 3-0. Johnson completed the scoring when she singled through the left side, allowing O'Neill to score.

UCSB would get on the board in the top of the sixth on an RBI-groundout by Jessica Beristianos.

Meanhile, Holmes was busy allowing just one run on seven hits. She struck out one and did not walk a batter. Besides the sixth inning, the only other big threats she faced were in the third and seventh. In the earlier frame, UCSB had consecutive singles with one out before Holmes needed just four pitches to retire the next two batters. In the seventh, the Gauchos had runners at first and third with two outs, but Holmes retired Jessica Zeigler to end the game.

"Our pitching staff did a tremendous job hitting their spots today. We shut down their best hitter so I'm really proud of them," said UC Davis head coach Karen Yoder. "We played good defense. UC Santa Barbara put pressure on us, and I thought we stepped up. When they did get on in some key situations, we didn't let it rattle us."

Each team had seven hits in the second game. Paine finished the day with three runs scored. Gonzalez, Emde and Axelson each collected two hits in the doubleheader. The wins also assure UC Davis its third straight Big West series win.

UC Santa Barbara began the day in second place in the Big West and dropped to 25-22 overall and 8-6 in the conference. The Gauchos' Tisha Duran, who entered the game with a .379 average, went 0-for-7.

Saturday's action also featured a tribute to the Aggies' 2003 national championship team in between the two games. In addition, Kathy DeYoung, who won 777 games in 26 years as the Aggie softball head coach, was honored. DeYoung will be retiring from UC Davis at the end of the season.

UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara conclude their series Sunday at noon. Johnson, O'Neill and Lindsey Jones will be honored prior to the game as part of Senior Day.