Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -- Host CSUN scored twice in the second and third innings for the only runs it would need and the Matadors' pitching staff held visiting UC Davis to just five hits on the day, completing the sweep of their three-game Big West Conference series thanks to a 4-2 decision on Sunday afternoon at Matador Field.

The Aggies, who had accumulated a total of 28 hits in the first two games of the series combined, fell to 16-29 overall and 4-14 in league play. CSUN swept its second consecutive conference series, improving to 31-16 overall and 10-11 in the Big West.

Five different UC Davis hitters finished with hits as the Aggies' offense was stifled by starter Andrew Weston (7-4), who allowed only two base runners on a single by Brad Pluschkell and a fourth-inning error over the first five innings. Weston finished allowing two runs on three hits and striking out three over 5.2 innings of work.

A two-run double by Elias Orona in the second and another by Dylan Alexander in the third proved to be all the Matadors would need, before senior right-hander Nat Hamby (3-5) and the Aggie bullpen settled down to retire 14 of the final 18 batters in the game.

That was enough time for UC Davis to mount a rally in the sixth, slicing the CSUN advantage in half with a pair of two-out runs in the inning. A single by Spencer Henderson got things started and the Aggies loaded the bases when Cameron Olson was hit by a pitch and Logan Denholm worked a walk.

Freshman Caleb Van Blake then broke up the shutout when he was hit by a pitch to force in a run and Ryan Hooper made it 4-2 with an infield single to knock Weston from the game. A ground ball got the Matadors out of the jam and UC Davis was able to get runners on in both he seventh and eighth, but were unable to push across the tying run.

Conner O'Neil pitched the final two innings, striking out four, to earn his second save of the weekend and his 10th overall on the season.

Hamby pitched six innings in the defeat, allowing four runs on nine hits, but struck out six without a walk. Chris Brown and Matt Blais kept their side in the contest, allowing just two hits and striking out two over the final two innings of relief.

Henderson's single in the sixth extended his hitting streak to eight games, tied with teammate Alex Aguiar for the longest active streak among Aggie hitters. Denholm's walk, also in the sixth, allowed him to reach base safely for the ninth straight game, also the longest active such streak in the UC Davis lineup.

The Aggies make the short trip to Stanford for the final non-conference match-up of the season on Tuesday (May 17) at 5:30 p.m. The two teams will play the ninth inning of their game that was suspended due to darkness back on March 21 before squaring off in their regularly scheduled contest at Sunken Diamond.

After battling through a pair of rain delays, the Cardinal lead the suspended contest, 12-9, heading to the ninth inning after UC Davis scored seven runs in the sixth to take a 7-5 lead, only to have Stanford answer with a seven-run eighth to regain the lead. The Aggies then scored twice in their half of the eighth before the sun set on Dobbins Stadium.

CSUN 4, UC Davis 2 (May 15, 2016 at Northridge, CA)
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UC Davis............ 000 002 000 - 2 5 0 (16-29, 4-14 Big West)
CSUN................ 022 000 00X - 4 11 2 (31-16, 10-11 Big West)
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Pitchers: UC Davis - Hamby, Nat; Brown, Chris (7); Blais, Matt (7) and Denholm, Logan. CSUN - Weston, Andrew; Viola, Nick(6); Troupe, Mathew(7); O'Neil, Conner(8) and Alexander, Dylan.
Win - Weston, Andrew (7-4) Save - O'Neil, Conner (10) Loss - Hamby, Nat (3-5) T-2:44 A-269
Weather: Cloudy, overcast