March 26, 2012
Final Stats
DAVIS, Calif. - The UC Davis baseball team scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to trail by just one, but Nevada closer Matt Gardner forced the final out as the Wolf Pack escaped with a 5-4 win on Monday at Dobbins Stadium in Davis.
UC Davis moves to 10-10 on the year while Nevada improves to 13-10.
Brett Morgan led the Aggies offensively, going 3-for-5 with an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning. Paul Politi was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI while Ryan Allgrove went 2-for-4. Tino Lipson, in his first game back since Mar. 4, went 2-for-3 with a run.
The teams combined for 24 hits as Carlos Escobar and Joe Kohan each put up three hits for Nevada, but stranded a combined 22 runners. The Wolf Pack left eight on base, while the Aggies left 14, 10 of which were in scoring position.
UC Davis got off to a quick start, racking up four straight singles to lead off the first inning to take a 3-0 lead, but the frame ended on back-to-back strikeouts by Nevada starter Troy Marks.
The Wolf Pack responded in the third with a run of their own after Escobar singled, then Kohan doubled before Jamison Rowe's sacrifice fly allowed Escobar to score.
Nevada took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth when Kyle Hunt hit a two-run home run over the right field wall with two outs. Escobar and Kohan connected again for the final run of the inning when their consecutive doubles brought Escobar home for the second time in the game.
In the sixth, the Wolf Pack tacked on their final run when Austin Byler was hit by a pitch, stole second, then moved to third when Aggie shortstop Evan Heptig was unable to hold on to the throw from catcher Scott Kalush. Kohan brought in his second run of the day, scoring Byler on a groundout to first to give Nevada a 5-3 lead.
UC Davis' late rally began with pinch hitter Mike Mazzara's single with one out. He moved to second on a passed ball, then Morgan brought him home with a double down the left field line. Morgan would advance to third on Spencer Brann's ground out to the Wolf Pack first baseman, but Allgrove's fly ball to center field ended the game.
Spencer Koopmans was handed his first loss of the year after giving up four runs on seven hits in four complete innings of work. Patrick Hennessey gave up the fifth run of the game, but struck out two batters in two innings of relief work. Harry Stanwyck closed the game for UC Davis, allowing just one hit and striking out two in three full innings.
Nevada's Barry Timko earned the win to improve to 1-0 while Matt Gardner picked up his sixth save of the year.
UC Davis will face No. 2 Stanford on Tuesday at Dobbins Stadium. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
