May 25, 2013

Box Score | Season Stats | Career Stats

DAVIS, Calif. - The Aggies put two runners on with one out in the ninth inning but a double play ended the threat and the UC Davis baseball team lost, 5-3, to UC Santa Barbara in the finale of both a three-game Big West Conference series and the 2013 season.

The Aggies (19-37, 5-22 Big West) were swept after posting three runs on eight hits with three errors while the Gauchos (34-23, 17-10) scored five runs on 10 hits with no errors.

UC Santa Barbara reliever Greg Mahle (7-4) earned the win after tossing 5.1 scoreless innings with just three hits allowed, one walk and six strikeouts. He struck out four batters in a row from the fifth to the sixth innings. UC Davis reliever Evan Wolf (3-5) suffered the loss after giving up two runs on six hits in four innings with no walks and one strikeout. Wolf was scheduled to start but was pulled in favor of senior Ben Burke, who allowed two runs on four hits in 3.2 innings with two walks and three strikeouts.

Senior third baseman Paul Politi went 1-for-4 with one of the Aggies three RBIs. The standout finishes his five-year career with 228 hits in 773 at-bats, 44 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 65 walks, 106 runs scored and 114 RBIs. He ranks No. 3 all-time in program history in both hits (228) and at-bats (773), No. 4 in games played (197), No. 5 in doubles (44) and No. 9 in RBIs (114).

Fellow senior, first baseman Austin Logan, also drove in a run and went 1-for-4 while catcher Spencer Brann was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

UC Santa Barbara was led by first baseman Tyler Kuresa, who went 2-for-4 with a double and home run. Second baseman Ryan Clark was 1-for-4 with a game-high three RBIs.

Kuresa's solo home run in the sixth inning broke a 3-3 tie before UCSB tacked on another run in the ninth on Clark's RBI ground out.

The Aggies had a chance in the ninth, as both Brann and pinch-hitter Nick Lynch singled to start the inning. Left fielder Tino Lipson dropped down a sacrifice bunt attempt, but UCSB closer Dylan Hecht was able to field it and gun down the runner at second, putting runners at the corners with one out. A 4-6-3 double play in the next at-bat ended the game.

Seniors Politi, Logan, Burke, Mike Mazzara and Patrick Hennessey were honored prior to the game for Senior Day.

UC Santa Barbara 5, UC Davis 3 (May 25, 2013 at Davis, Calif.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
UC Santa Barbara.... 011 011 001 0 - 5 10 0 (34-23, 17-10 Big West)
UC Davis................. 012 000 000 X - 3 8 3 (19-37, 5-22 Big West)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: UC Santa Barbara - Vasquez,Andrew; Mahle,Greg(3); Hecht,Dylan(9) and . UC Davis -
Burke, Ben; Wolf, Evan(4); Hennessey, Patrick(8) and .
Win-Mahle,Greg(7-4) Save-Hecht,Dylan(8) Loss-Wolf, Evan(3-5) T-3:23 A-813
HR UCSB - Kuresa,Tyler (5).
Weather: 72 degrees, sunny, WSW 6 MPH