DAVIS, Calif. — After securing its first official victory of the 2018-19 season with an 11-2 win over Northern Colorado, the UC Davis offense powered past the Bears a second time thanks to a 9-2 showing in the seven-inning finale of Saturday's doubleheader at Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium. In addition to collecting 21 total hits on the afternoon, the Aggies also finished 13-for-14 on the base paths and set a new Division I era record with nine total stolen bases in game two, surpassing the previous record set by the 2015 squad at Texas State (8). 

Sophomore Tanner Murray finished 3-for-7 with three RBI and two runs scored, while redshirt freshman Kyler Arenado went 3-for-7 at the plate to go along with three total stolen bases on the afternoon in his debut appearance for the Aggies, and senior Cameron Briggs tallied the Aggies' first home run of the year.  

The Aggies and the Bears are slated to return to the diamond tomorrow (Feb. 17) for the series finale with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.


GAME ONE RECAP

Sophomore right-hander Brett Erwin (1-0) was credited with his first career win after allowing just one run on four hits and striking out four over five innings of work in his first ever start for the Aggies. Redshirt junior Chase Lyford took over for Erwin in the sixth, allowing one run on three hits and striking out three over four innings on the mound in his debut performance as an Aggie. 

Issac Bracken (0-1) suffered the loss for Northern Colorado after allowing seven runs on seven hits over 4.1 innings—one of four hurlers to take the mound for the Bears. 

Following a scoreless first inning, senior Garret Kelly drove in the equalizer for UC Davis in the second thanks to a well-placed bunt down the third-base line to bring home redshirt junior Logan Denholm. 

Junior Cooper Morrison then logged the first extra-base hit of the season for the Aggies with a double in the bottom third, before being driven home by senior Caleb Van Blake to give UC Davis a 2-1 advantage. 

But after scoring five runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth, the Aggies never looked back, jumping out to a commanding 7-1 lead over the Bears. Murray and Denholm each chipped in a double, while Briggs tallied a sacrifice fly, and freshman Jalen Smith logged his first career hit with a single to right field. 

The Aggies would tack on two more runs in the seventh and eighth innings, en route to their first win of the season, 11-2. 


GAME TWO RECAP

Senior right-hander Blake Hannah (1-0) was credited with the win in the second game of the day after allowing two runs on five hits and striking out five. Sophomore south paw Brock Moffitt supplied the Aggies with 1.1 innings of scoreless, hitless relief striking out a pair, while redshirt sophomore Tim Wieser denied the final three batters of the afternoon. 

Northern Colorado's Connor Anderson (0-1) suffered the loss for the Bears, giving up four runs on six hits over 3.2 innings of work on the mound. 

Part two of Saturday's season opener began similar to the first, with the Aggies and the Bears tied, 1-1, heading into the bottom of the fourth. Briggs provided the equalizer for the Aggies with a solo home run back in the second marking the first round tripper by an Aggie this season. 

Junior Alejandro Lara then got things started for UC Davis with a lead-off double to left center field in the fourth before coming around to score on a 2-RBI double by Kelly. A balk and a stolen base would then complete a three-run inning for the Aggies.

Once again the fifth inning would swing momentum in favor of the Aggies, as UC Davis drove in five runs on four hits and took advantage of two costly errors by the Northern Colorado defense. 

But the fans at Dobbins Stadium would see no other scores from either squad, as the Aggies claimed the series with a 9-2 win over the Bears. 

Saturday's game marked the official debut in an Aggie uniform for Arenado, Lyford, Morrison, and Smith.

The Aggies and the Bears return to action tomorrow (Feb. 17) for the series finale beginning at 12 p.m. 


ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.

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