May 3, 2008

Cal Poly 6, UC Davis 5 (Game 1)
UC Davis 9, Cal Poly 6 (Game 2)

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - UC Davis and Cal Poly split a Big West Conference softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Bob Janssen Field. Each team had big sixth innings to come from behind with a win. In the first game, Cal Poly scored three times in the sixth on its way to a 6-5 victory. In the second game, UC Davis erased a 6-2 deficit with seven runs in the sixth to win, 9-6. The Aggies' Erin Emde went 5-for-7 on the day with three RBIs while Sarah Axelson homered in each game and drove in three.

In game one, UC Davis (23-33, 8-9 Big West) raced out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. With two outs, Emde delivered an RBI-single to drive in Julie Stauder with the first run. Sarah O'Neill followed with a two-run triple to make it 3-0.

Cal Poly (21-21, 9-8 Big West) scored a run in the third on a solo homer by Jenna Maiden to make it 3-1. UC Davis quickly regained its three-run lead in the fourth when Axleson led off with a homerun to up the margin to 4-1.

The Mustangs responded with a run in each of the next two innings to cut the lead to 4-3 heading to the sixth. That's when Cal Poly scored three more times to take its first lead at 6-4.

UC Davis rallied in the top of the seventh by loading the bases with one out. Bianca Castillo hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Lindsey Jones and pull the Aggies within 6-5. That's as close as UC Davis would get as Cal Poly's Robyn Kontra retired Trish Paine on a fly ball to end the game.

The second game was scoreless into the fourth before Cal Poly put up three runs in its half of the inning. In the top of the fifth, Deanna Menapace was hit by a pitch leading off the frame. With one out, Axelson belted her second homer of the day to cut the lead to 3-2.

The Mustangs quickly scored three more times in the fifth, helped by homeruns by Sarah Iwata and Anna Cahn, and took a 6-2 lead into the sixth inning.

That's when the Aggies erupted for seven runs. With the bases loaded and no outs, Emde started the scoring with a two-run single to make it 6-4. The next run scored on a fielding error. Paine then cleared the bases with a triple to center to give UC Davis an 8-6 lead. Jessica Gonzalez capped off the rally with a two-out double which drove in Paine.

Jessica Hancock, who entered the game in the fifth inning, allowed just one hit in the final two innings to pick up the win for the Aggies. She struck out three with just one walk in 2.2 innings of work.

For the day, each team collected 16 hits. In addition to Emde's five hits, Gonzalez, Axelson, Menapace and Paine had two hits apiece.

The two teams conclude their series Sunday at noon. A win for UC Davis would make it four straight Big West series victories for the Aggies.