April 24, 2010

Game 1
Game 2

FULLERTON, Calif. - The UC Davis softball team stayed red-hot with a doubleheader sweep at Cal State Fullerton, Saturday, at Anderson Family Field. The Aggies posted a 5-2 victory in the first game and came from behind to earn a 7-4 win in game two. The victories improved the Aggies to 18-24 overall and 7-3 in the Big West Conference. Cal State Fullerton dropped to 9-34 overall and 4-7 in the conference. More importantly, UC Davis also moved into second-place in the Big West and is just a half game behind Cal Poly.

Elizabeth Santana went 6-for-8 on the day and scored three runs as UC Davis banged out a total of 22 hits. Kylie Fan and Alex Holmes each had four hits. Fan drove in three runs while Holmes and Jessica Gonzalez each had two RBIs. Marissa Araujo also hit a her second homerun of the season.

In the circle, both Holmes and Dana Waldusky picked up a win and a save on the day.

Santana went 4-for-4 in the first game alone and scored a pair of runs. Four other Aggies drove in a run apiece. The Aggies struck first with three runs in the third inning. With one out, Santana doubled and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Gonzalez. Holmes followed with an RBI-single, and Sarah Axelson then delivered a run-scoring double to make it 2-0. Fan capped off the surge with a single to drive in Axelson.

UC Davis added two more runs in the fourth and did it all with two outs. JJ Wagoner started the rally with a walk, and Santana kept it going with a single. Gonzalez then singled to drive in Wagoner, and Santana also scored on the play as the result of an error in the outfield. In all, the Aggies scored five runs on seven hits in the third and fourth innings.

Waldusky had another strong effort in the circle. The freshman picked up the win with six-plus innings of work. She allowed two runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Holmes came on in the seventh with runners on first and second and no outs but forced a double-play flyout and groundout to earn the save.

Game two featured little scoring through the first four innings. Araujo's solo shot in the second gave UC Davis an early 1-0 lead. The Titans' Torrie Anderson did the same to lead off the third to tie the game at 1-1.

It stayed that way until the fifth when Cal State Fullerton scored a pair of runs to take a 3-1 lead.

The Aggies would not face the deficit for long as they exploded for five runs in a decisive sixth inning. Bianca Castillo drove in the first run with a double, and Santana followed with another RBI-double to tie the game at 3-3. Gonzalez kept the barrage going with a run-scoring single to give UC Davis a 4-3 lead. Later in the frame, Fan hit a two-run single down the left field line to drive in Holmes and Gonzalez. At that point, UC Davis had a 6-3 lead.

Cal State Fullerton pulled within 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth, but an RBI-single by Holmes in the top of the seventh pushed the Aggie lead to 7-4.

Holmes picked up her 11th win of the season with five-plus innings of work. She allowed four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Waldusky relieved her in the sixth with runners at first and second and no outs. She went on to earn her second save with three strikeouts in two innings.

UC Davis will seek a sweep of the series Sunday when the two teams meet for the final game at noon.