Feb. 21, 2009

Final Stats

MORAGA, Calif. - The UC Davis softball team continued its strong start to the season with a doubleheader sweep at Saint Mary's on Saturday. The Aggies won the first game 1-0 behind a complete-game shutout by Jessica Hancock. In the second game, UC Davis scored 10 runs in the top of the seventh to break open a one-run game on its way to an 11-0 victory. The wins improve the Aggies to 7-3 on the year.

Hancock and Alex Holmes each picked up victories in the circle as the Aggies lowered their team ERA to 0.81 on the year. A total of seven Aggies drove in runs on the day. Jessica Gonzalez had four RBIs in the second game, and Erin Emde finished with three. Sarah Axelson also hit her second home run of the year.

It took just two batters for the Aggies to get on the scoreboard in game one, and the lone run would be all the offense they would need. Julie Stauder led off the first with a triple and promptly came home on an RBI-single by Belinda Paine. In the bottom of the inning, the Gaels put runners on the corners with two outs, but Hancock struck out Dolcini to end the threat.

The Aggie right-hander would end up allowing just four singles in the game. After the first inning, the Gaels were unable to move a runner past second base. Hancock struck out nine while getting the same number of batters on ground balls. Only one out was recorded in the air, and two more Gaels were caught stealing. Behind the plate, it was Rachel Miller who gunned downed a pair of would-be base stealers.

At the plate, both Stauder and Marissa Araujo finished the first game 2-for-3. Emde and Holmes also added singles.

Game two would remain scoreless into the fifth before UC Davis broke out on top. With one out, Kelly Harman singled and advanced to third on a double by Araujo. Harman scored when Gonzalez reached on a fielder's choice to make it 1-0.

Axelson led off the seventh with a homer to up the lead to 2-0. Four batters later, Stauder walked with the bases loaded to make it 3-0. Three more runs scored on a base hit by Emde followed by a fielding error on the same play. Harman would later add an RBI-single, and Gonzalez capped off the inning with bases loaded double that cleared three more runs. In all, UC Davis scored 10 runs on eight hits in the inning.

Holmes pitched six innings and allowed four hits with a strikeout and two walks. Nicole Kociemba took over in the seventh to preserve the shutout.

UC Davis is next in action Wednesday when it hosts Santa Clara at 2 p.m.