SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Junior
Maddie Rojas finished 2-for-4 with three RBI to stand as one of four Aggies with two hits on the day, and visiting UC Davis broke open a one-run game with three in the fifth and five more in the seventh en route to a 9-0 victory over host UC Santa Barbara on Sunday afternoon.
The Aggies clinched their second straight Big West Conference series to open the year, improving to 29-7 overall and 4-2 in league play.
Senior
Sara Cadona and sophomore
Brooke Yanez combined to hold the Gauchos to eight hits in the team's 14th shutout of the year as UCSB fell to 7-30 overall and 1-5 in the Big West.
Yanez (19-2) earned the win in relief, striking out seven over five shutout innings of work. Cadona went the first two innings, scattering four hits in the no decision.
A two-out single and a walk put a pair on for
Marisa Given in the first, and the junior wasted no time in getting the Aggies on the board, rapping a single to centerfield to score freshman
Megan Bower for the 1-0 lead.
The score remained that way until the fifth when UC Davis rallied to push three across and open the floodgates. The Aggies loaded the bases thanks to an error, a walk, and a hit batter, to bring up sophomore
Riley Siegel, who lofted a ball to right field, deep enough to score sophomore
Alyse Rojas for the 2-0 advantage.
Maddie Rojas then came up with the big blow in the inning, lacing a double to left, scoring both Given and
Alexis Villalobos for the 4-0 lead.
UC Davis widened the gap in the seventh, scoring five times on seven hits.
Maddie Rojas and
Marissa Jauregui collected back-to-back RBI singles with the bases loaded and one out to get the scoring started and, following a pitching change,
Alex Sotomayor followed with a two-run double for the eight-run advantage.
With two in scoring position,
Alyse Rojas capped the scoring with an infield single, scoring Jauregui for the final 9-0 score.
In all, seven different Aggies finished with hits, while six different players drove in runs. Maci Fines and Kayla Krantz each had two hits to pace the Gauchos.
UC Davis returns to La Rue Field next weekend, hosting Cal Poly in a three-game series beginning on Picnic Day (Saturday, April 13), with a single game to follow on Sunday (April 14). First pitch on both days is scheduled for 1 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, 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.
