Box Score

DAVIS, Calif. -- Cameron Olson and Logan Denholm slugged back-to-back home runs to break a 2-2 tie, but a three-run seventh rallied host CSUN, which stranded the tying run 90 feet from home plate in the ninth inning on Friday, lifting the Matadors to a 5-4 win over UC Davis at Matador Field.

The Aggies fell to 16-27 overall and 4-12 in Big West Conference play, falling for only the second time in their last nine games despite out-hitting their hosts, 12-9, for the contest. CSUN improved to 29-16 overall and 8-11 in league play, winning its fourth straight.

With the score tied, UC Davis rallied off reliever Samuel Myers (3-0) to start the seventh as Olson sent the first pitch he saw over the wall in right to give his team the 3-2 lead, and the freshman Denholm followed with his third home run in as many games on an 0-2 offering to put the Aggies up 4-2.

It was the fourth home run of the season for both Olson and Denholm, extending their team lead, while the latter became the first Aggie to homer in three straight games since Nick Lynch did so against Saint Mary's, Portland, and Kansas State, from Feb. 20-22, 2014.

The advantage was short-lived, however, as the Matadors rallied back in the home half of the inning to take the lead for good off starter Robert Garcia (3-3). A one-out walk and an error on an infield single by Fred Smith made it a one-run game and, after a hit batter that chased Garcia, Branden Berry rapped an RBI single off Matt Blais to put CSUN in front after the ball was misplayed in the outfield, allowed a pair of runs to score.

Closer Conner O'Neil came on to start the eighth to try and collect the six-out save, stranding the tying run in scoring position with a pair of strikeouts around a single and stolen base by Alex Aguiar in the eighth, and left runners at the corners in the ninth after Spencer Henderson, who reached on a passed ball after a dropped third strike, went first-to-third on a single by Ryan Hooper with one out.

O'Neil snuffed out the rally with a strikeout and a fly ball to nail down his ninth save of the year.

The Aggies were stung by leaving 13 runners on base for the game, eight of those in scoring position.

Garcia took the loss, charged with all five runs on seven hits while striking out five over 6.1 innings of work. Despite allowing the two runs on three hits, Myers was credited with the win for CSUN, the benefactor of the Matadors' three-run rally, while O'Neil finished with five strikeouts in two innings of work for the save.

A home run by Berry, his ninth of the year, staked CSUN to the first-inning lead, and an RBI single by Bobby Schuman put the Matadors up 2-1 after an RBI single by Brad Pluschkell had tied the game in the top of the second. Another RBI by Pluschkell, this on an RBI double for his second hit of the contest, tied the game once again in the third.

Denholm, Henderson, and Pluschkell, each finished with a pair of hits on the day as every Aggie starter finished with at least one hit. Three Matadors also had a pair of hits, while Berry drove in a pair.

With his home run, Olson reached base safely for the 16th straight game -- passing teammate Tanner Bily for the longest on the year this season -- while Denholm collected his team-best 11th multi-hit game of the year and reached base four times with walks in the first and third and a fifth-inning single.

Game two of the series is scheduled for Saturday (May 14) at 1 p.m.

CSUN 5, UC Davis 4 (May 13, 2016 at Northridge, CA)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
UC Davis............ 010 100 200 - 4 12 3 (16-27, 4-12 Big West)
CSUN................ 110 000 30X - 5 9 1 (29-16, 8-11 Big West)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: UC Davis - Garcia, Robert; Blais, Matt (7) and Denholm, Logan. CSUN - Rodriguez, Angel; Viola, Nick(4); Myers, Samuel(7); O'Neil, Conner(8) and Alexander, Dylan.
Win - Myers, Samuel (3-0) Save - O'Neil, Conner (9) Loss - Garcia, Robert (3-3) T-3:03 A-223
HR UCD - Olson, Cameron (4); Denholm, Logan (4).
HR CSUN - Berry, Branden (9).
Weather: Partly sunny, 70s