DAVIS, Calif. — Sophomore
Alyse Rojas finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, finishing a home run shy of the cycle, and six different UC Davis hitters drove in runs on Tuesday afternoon, lifting the homestanding Aggies to a 9-4 non-conference victory over Pacific at La Rue Field.
The win pushed UC Davis' win streak to six as the Aggies improved to 35-8 overall heading into this weekend's crucial Big West Conference series against first-place Cal State Fullerton, which stands atop the league standings by a single game over UC Davis.
The Tigers fell to 15-28 overall, limited to just four hits on the day.
Junior right-hander
Katie Kibby (11-5) earned the win in relief of starter
Sara Cadona, who went three innings, allowing two earned runs on just one hit. Kibby took over in the fourth with no outs and went the rest of the way, allowing a run on three hits and striking out four to win her third straight decision.
Myka Sutherlin (4-6) suffered the loss, charged with nine runs (four earned) on 10 hits while walking four and striking out three in the complete-game effort.
Junior
Marisa Given followed
Alyse Rojas' lead-off double with her third home run of the season to stake the Aggies to the early lead before UC Davis sent 10 batters to the plate as part of a four-run third to break the game open.
Meghan Bradbury drove in a run with a ground ball to get the scoring started in the frame and was followed by a bases-loaded walk issued to
Maddie Rojas and a clutch two-run single through the hole on the left side by
Riley Siegel for a 6-1 advantage.
Pacific clawed back with two runs in the fourth, but
Marissa Jauregui's RBI single scored
Alyse Rojas, who tripled to center, in the home half and then tacked on two more runs on a ground ball by Given and an error to make it 9-3.
A one-out seventh-inning home run by the Tigers provided the final run of the day, but Kibby got a pair of fly balls around an error to end the game.
The three runs by
Alyse Rojas, who tallied her 11th multi-hit game of the season and reached base safely for the 11th consecutive game, brought her into a tie with teammate
Isabella Leon for the team lead — and the most by an Aggie in the program's Division I history.
Given, meanwhile, extended her hitting streak to six games with her first-inning home run — the longest active streak by a UC Davis hitter — contributing to the team's third straight game with double-digit hits, its fifth such performance in the last six, and the 14th time overall in 2019.
This weekend's series with the Titans opens with a doubleheader on Saturday (April 27) at 1 p.m., followed by a single game on "Senior Day" Sunday (April 28) at Noon. The Aggies' senior class will be honored in a ceremony following Sunday's home finale.
UC Davis 9, Pacific 4 (Apr 23, 2019 at Davis, Calif.)
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Pacific............. 010 200 1 - 4 4 2 (15-28)
UC Davis............ 204 102 X - 9 10 3 (35-8)
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Pitchers: Pacific - SUTHERLIN, Myka and DOMINGO, Madeline. UC Davis - Cadona, Sara; Kibby, Katie (4) and Siegel, Riley.
Win - Kibby, Katie (11-5) Loss - SUTHERLIN, Myka (4-6) T-2:01 A-47
HR PAC - KOOYMAN, Bradi (3).
HR UCD - Given, Marisa (3).
Weather: 90*; wind: N7mph
Cadona, S. faced 2 batters in the 4th.
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.
