March 13, 2011
Box Score
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Scott Kalush recorded five RBIs, Eric Johnson went 3-for-5, but Santa Clara took a 9-8 win after relief pitcher David Popkins hit Zach Looney with the bases loaded to allow the winning run to score in the final game of the Jack Gifford Memorial Tournament at Stephen Schott Stadium in Santa Clara.
The Aggies tied the game in the top of the ninth after Seth Batty scored a run, but in the bottom half of the inning, Tom Briner gave up back-to-back singles then intentionally walked Blake Leyva to bring Looney up to the plate wth the bases loaded and only one out. Briner was replaced by Popkins and, with his very first pitch, Popkins caught Looney on the forearm allowing the winning run to cross home plate.
UC Davis drops to 3-12 while Santa Clara improves to 7-9.
Down 3-1 in the top of the fourth, UC Davis scored three runs to take a 4-3 lead. Popkins and Scott Lyman were hit by pitches in consecutive at bats and Paul Politi drove Popkins home with a single. Johnson reached on a fielder's choice as Politi was thrown out at second, and, with one out and two runners on, Kalush picked up an RBI with a hit that scored Lyman. After Kevin Grove flew out for the second out, Justin Andrade's single up the middle brought home Johnson.
Scott Heylman scored a run in the top of the fifth, giving UC Davis a 5-3 lead.
Santa Clara came back in a big way, however, scoring five runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning to go up 8-5.
The Aggies chipped away at the Santa Clara lead, scoring twice in the seventh after Kalush hit a two-RBI double with two outs to score Lyman and Johnson, then hit a long fly ball in the ninth to allow pinch runner Seth Batty to score the tying run.
With the game knotted at eight runs apiece, Popkins was called in to relieve Tom Briner in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and one out when he hit Looney, bringing a run home and giving Santa Clara the 9-8 win.
Briner was credited with the loss to move to 0-1 on the season while J.R. Graham moves to 1-0 after earning the win.
Johnson went 3-for-5, Kalush was 2-for-3 and drove home five runs and Paul Politi was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
For Santa Clara, Lucas Herbst, Curtis Wagner and Patrick Terry each hit 2-for-4 while Viele was 2-for-5. Herbst knocked in three runs while Wagner and Looney each had two RBIs.
Scott Lyman struck out five in 4.2 innings as the Aggies' starting pitcher. Tom Briner gave up only one earned run on three hits in 3.1 innings.
UC Davis resumes action Mar. 21 when the Aggies host Stanford at Dobbins Stadium at 2:30 p.m. The team follows that with a three game series against San Jose State Mar. 25-27.
