DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis sophomore left-hander
Brooke Yanez pitched the first perfect game in the program's Division I history, retiring all 21 Sacramento State hitters she faced while striking out 10 on the day, helping the Aggies to a 4-0 victory over their Causeway rivals on Tuesday afternoon at La Rue Field.
The win improved UC Davis to 18-4 overall, winning's seventh straight contest to also tie a program Division I record set in 2010 and, later, tied in 2017. Thursday's victory also clinched the requisite number of points to clinch the 2018-19 Causeway Cup for the seventh consecutive year, now leading the all-time head-to-head rivalry series by an 11-4 count.
The Hornets fell to 11-10 with the defeat.
Yanez (12-1), a communication major from Ventura, Calif., who entered the day ranked No. 9 in the nation in wins, while also standing among the top 25 in strikeouts (No. 19) and strikeouts per game (No. 23), needed only 93 pitches to dispatch the Hornets, getting nine fly ball outs and two ground ball outs to go along with her fourth double-digit strikeout game of the season to complete the victory, winning her 12th consecutive start and her ninth straight decision on the year.
It is believed to be the first perfect game in UC Davis softball history in nearly a quarter century, dating back to March 1, 1993, when Julie Astrachan struck out five in a five-inning, 10-0, run-rule win over San Francisco State. The only two other no-hitters in the program's Division I history came in 2011, when Jessica Thweatt and Alex Holmes combined to no-hit Utah Valley, and in 2012, when Justine Vela accomplished the feat against Idaho State.
After managing just two baserunners through the first three innings, UC Davis got all the runs it would need in the fourth as pinch-runner junior psychology major
Alexis Villalobos, on to run for Yanez, who singled, touched home on a double steal and junior psychology major
Marisa Given made it a two-run lead with a sacrifice fly.
After a blistering weekend at the plate at the Silicon Valley Classic II in the Bay Area over the weekend, senior human development major
Meghan Bradbury picked up right where she left off with an RBI single in the fifth to score cognitive science major
Isabella Leon, who walked, to make it 3-0. It marked the fifth-straight game with at least one RBI for the San Pablo, Calif., native, who now leads the team with 24 RBI on the year — the most since
Ashley Lotoszynski drove in 30 in 2017.
Two batters later, sophomore human development major
Alyse Rojas capped the scoring with an RBI triple to right centerfield, plating Bradbury for the final 4-0 advantage.
Sophomore viticulture and enology major
Riley Siegel, junior human development major
Maddie Rojas, and junior international relations major
Marissa Jauregui, also finished with base hits for the Aggies.
UC Davis' eight-game homestead continues this weekend as the Aggies co-host the Capital Classic Tournament with Sacramento State, welcoming Fairleigh Dickinson, Marist, Rider, and Santa Clara, for the three-day event which begins Friday (March 15) at 9:30 a.m.
A complete tournament schedule is available here:
https://ucdavisaggies.com/sports/2019/1/2/sports-w-softbl-spec-rel-19-capital-classic.aspx.
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, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis 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
Launched in 2017-18, 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.
