May 21, 2010
Box Score
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Sophomore left-handed pitcher Dayne Quist recorded a career-high nine strikeouts and gave up only two earned runs on five hits in seven innings of work while Matt Lewis picked up his league-leading seventh save as UC Davis took a 6-5 win over UC Santa Barbara in the first of a three-game Big West Conference series Friday.
UC Davis improves to 23-27 overall and 6-13 in Big West action while UC Santa Barbara is now 21-27 on the year and 7-12 in conference play.
Quist picked up the win to move to 7-4 on the season while Mario Hollands fell to 4-5 with the loss.
Quist gave up a walk to Gunner Terhune to open the game, but proceeded to strike out the next three UCSB batters on his way to retiring six straight. Quist held the Gauchos scoreless until the seventh inning when Terhune's RBI double brought in a run, then Derek Eligio's groundout scored another Gaucho run.
UC Davis scored a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take a 3-0 lead. In the fourth, Kyle Mihaylo's RBI base hit scored Scott Lyman who reached base on a fielder's choice. In the next inning, Paul Politi's solo home run put the Aggies up by two. It was Politi's third homer of the year.
Scott Heylman and David Popkins hit back-to-back singles in the sixth, then advanced on a base hit by Lyman. With the bases now loaded and only one out, Heylman scored on a passed ball to give UC Davis a three-run lead.
UC Davis added three more runs in the top of the seventh as Politi led off the inning by reaching first base on an error by UCSB first baseman Trevor Whyte. Politi would advance on a sacrifice bunt by Seth Batty then move to third on a single by Justin Schafer. Politi and Schafer would come around to score on Popkins' base hit to center field and Scott Heylman, who got on base with a walk, would score on a single by Lyman to put UC Davis up 6-0.
UC Santa Barbara began to rally in the bottom half of the inning as the Gauchos put up two runs, then recorded another three runs in the eighth inning to move within one run of UC Davis. In the eighth, Aggie reliever Scott Chew replaced Quist and struck out the first batter he faced, but then gave up three straight doubles which allowed UC Santa Barbara to score two runs. Shane Arslan's pinch-hit single scored UC Davis' third run and Matthew Lewis was brought in to replace Chew.
Lewis forced a fly out, then struck out Terhune to end the inning.
The Gauchos recorded a hit in the final frame, but the Aggie defense kept UCSB from scoring to preserve the 6-5 win.
Popkins led the Aggies offensively as he recorded three hits for the third straight game to finish 3-for-5 on the day with two RBI. Scott Lyman was 2-for-5 while Scott Heylman 2-for-3 with a double. Bryce Tafelski led UC Santa Barbara as he went 2-for-2 with a double.
The series resumes Saturday as senior lefty Sean Watson will take the mound for the Aggies while junior right-hander Greg Davis will start for the Gauchos.
UC Davis (23-27, 6-13) 000 111 300 - 6 11 1
UC Santa Barbara (21-27, 7-12) 000 000 230 - 5 10 2
Dayne Quist, Scott Chew (8), Matthew Lewis (8) and Scott Kalush; Mario Hollands, Matthew Brady (8), Nick Capito (8) and Bryce Tafelski, Dan Camou(9).
HITTERS: UC Davis: Justin Schafer, 1x4; Scott Heylman, 2x3, 2B; David Popkins, 3x5, 2 RBI; Scott Lyman, 2x5, RBI; Kyle Mihaylo, 1x4, RBI; Eric Johnson, 1x4; Paul Politi, 1x4, HR, RBI. UC Santa Barbara: Gunner Terhune, 1x3, RBI, 2B; Derek Eligio, 1x5, RBI; Matt Valaika, 1x4; Mark Haddow, 1x4; Ryan Tregoning, 1x5, 2B; Sean Williams, 1x4, RBI, 2B; Beck Wheeler, 1x4, RBI, 2B; Shane Arslan, 1x1, RBI; Bryce Tafelski, 2x2, 2B.
