Box Score

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RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Davis scored twice in the third inning, and another run in the fifth during Friday's Big West series opener in Riverside, sophomore communication major Brooke Yanez went the distance for the 20th time of the season and improved her record to 21-3 thanks to a 3-1 Aggie victory — the team's fourth in the last five conference games.
 
With this result, UC Davis will have a chance to win its fourth BWC series of the season, in as many opportunities, when these teams return to Amy S. Harrison Field for Saturday's 11 a.m. doubleheader. With Friday's result, the Aggies will now return to the diamond tomorrow morning with a 32-8 record; UC Riverside is now 23-17.
 
When Yanez arrived to Riverside, she and Justine Vela were tied with 20 victories, the most for an Aggie pitcher in the program's Division I era. Thanks to the two runs scored in the third, which included her teammates taking full advantage of the first of two UCR errors committed throughout the day, no Aggie pitcher has more wins in a single season than the second-year southpaw. Her record-setting afternoon also included 10 strikeouts, her ninth double-digit total of 2019. 
 
Initially reaching base on a fielder's choice with one out, sophomore human development major Alyse Rojas touched home plate two batters later on a Highlander fielding error, which allowed junior psychology major Marisa Given to reach first and join senior human development major Alex Sotomayor on base.
 
Sotomayor earned a free pass to first, on four straight pitches, during the previous at-bat.
 
Advancing from first to third on that Riverside error, Sotomayor sprinted home when Isabella Leon hit a deep fly to left, which allowed the Aggies to double their advantage.
 
The score remained 2-0, UC Davis, until the bottom of the third when the Highlanders cut their deficit in half, thanks to a pair of singles and a UC Davis error.
 
Two innings later, the Aggies regained their two-run cushion when junior human development major Maddie Rojas scored on a Riley Siegel fielder's choice, with the help of another UCR error.
 
Following her five-pitch walk, Rojas reached base safely when Highlander second baseman Brittany Garcia committed her team's second error of the day. That mistake became a costly one because that allowed the Aggies to place runners at first and second with one out, instead of continuing the inning with two outs recorded.
 
Great teams find a way to take advantage of opponents' miscues, and UC Davis accomplished just that as the inning progressed: Megan Bradbury loaded the bases by drawing a base on balls before the sophomore viticulture & enology major drove in Rojas moments later with a grounder to short, which led to the second out of the frame and another run on the scoreboard for the Aggies. That play pushed their lead to a 3-1 margin, which ultimately became the game's final score.
 
Due to Easter, this league series will conclude with Saturday's 11 a.m. doubleheader, live stats for this twinbill are available by clicking here.
 
 
 
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.