March 10, 2011
Box Score
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Eric Johnson hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning to tie the game at 3-3, but the UC Davis baseball team fell 6-4 to Utah on Thursday in the first game of the Jack Gifford Memorial Tournament at Stephen Schott Stadium in Santa Clara.
The loss, UC Davis' seventh straight, drops the Aggies to 2-10 overall while Utah is now 3-6 overall.
Paul Politi led off the seventh inning with a base hit, bringing Johnson up to the plate. Johnson swung at the very first pitch he saw and cleared the ball over the outfield wall to tie the game at three runs apiece.
Politi was 3-for-4 on the day while Johnson was 2-for-3 to lead the Aggies offensively.
Utah jumped to a 2-0 lead after CJ Cron hit his own two-run homer to left field in the first inning, but the Aggies picked up a run in the bottom of the second after Politi and Johnson led off with back-to-back singles. Politi would come around to score on a ground out from Alex Dreyfuss to bring the score to 2-1.
The Utes took a 3-1 lead after James Brooks tripled then came around to score on a passed ball in the top of the third.
UC Davis' defense took control of the game, holding Utah to only one hit until the eighth inning. Behind starting pitcher Dayne Quist, the Aggies retired the side in the fourth, then Quist hit Tyler Relf with a pitch in the fifth for the only base of the inning. With two outs in the sixth, Quist gave up a triple to Shaun Cooper before forcing Cody Guymon into a ground out to end the inning. The Aggies then turned a double play in the seventh before Quist struck out Josh Alexander.
After Johnson's home run in the bottom of the seventh, Utah scored two more runs to take a 5-3 lead when, with two outs, Guymon's base hit allowed Cron and Michael Beltran to score.
UC Davis picked up another run in the eighth after David Popkins scored off Politi's third base hit of the game. An error by Utah right fielder Josh Alexander allowed Popkins to score, moving the Aggies to within one.
In the top of the ninth, Utah scored again to take a 6-4 lead, then held off the Aggies to preserve the win.
Quist went seven full innings, giving up four runs on four hits and striking out three before being replaced by Ryan Lucas, who was given the loss.
For Utah, Rick Anton gave up four runs on nine hits and struck out five in 7.2 innings to earn the win and move to 2-1 overall.
The Utes' six hits were scattered amongst six different batters. Cron and Guymon each recorded two RBIs.
UC Davis continues action at the Jack Gifford Memorial Tournament Friday against Milwaukee. The Aggies will start lefty Anthony Kupbens while Milwaukee will start right hander Jordan Guth.
