Davis, Calif. -- The UC Davis Aggies took a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning, but could not hang on and fell 15-8 to the Utah Utes Saturday.
Freshman Nate Freeman (0-1) came out of the bullpen for UC Davis (1-1) and took the loss. Senior Wyatt Tucker was a bright spot for the Aggies, starting the ballgame and throwing 6.1 innings, giving up two runs, all earned, on three hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Sophomore Jalen Smith led the way offensively for the Aggies, going 3-for-5 in the ballgame with a triple and an RBI. Senior Logan Denholm provided a noteworthy performance at the plate as well, going 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs. Junior Spencer Gedestad also chipped in, going 2-for-5 for UC Davis with a double and an RBI.
The Aggies put runs on the scoreboard first, starting the scoring in the third inning. UC Davis scratched across a run off David Watson when Smith tripled in junior Kyler Arenado.
The Aggies then held the Utes scoreless before getting back on the board the very next inning. Freshman Jonah Henrickson came across to score the lone run of the inning for UC Davis, which brought the score to 2-0 in favor of the Aggies.
UC Davis' lead had evaporated once the seventh inning arrived and turned into a 9-2 Utah advantage, when the Aggies cut that deficit to 9-6. The Aggies bats heated up in the inning, scoring four runs, including a one-run single off the bat of Henrickson.
The Utes expanded their lead to 15-6 before the UC Davis offense got back to work, cutting into that lead in the ninth. The Aggies scored twice, with one run coming across on Gedestad's single, tightening the Utah lead to 15-8. The Aggies were unable to get any closer, as neither team scored again in the ballgame.
GAME NOTES
» The Aggies got three-hit games from both Smith and Denholm.
» Tucker fanned seven Utes hitters.
» UC Davis' highest scoring inning was the seventh, when it pushed four runs across.
» Tucker put together 6.1 innings of two-run ball for UC Davis.
» Five UC Davis hitters had multiple base knocks in the ballgame.
» The Aggies out-hit the Utes at a 14-9 clip.
» UC Davis went 4-for-11 (.364) with runners in scoring position.
» UC Davis pitchers faced 47 Utah hitters in the game, allowing 11 ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out eight.
» The Aggies drew four walks from Utah pitching.
» Smith led the Aggies at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a triple and an RBI.
» Utah was led offensively by junior Shea Kramer, who went 4-for-5 with a home run and six RBIs.
» Sophomore David Watson led the Utes pitching staff, throwing five innings of two-run ball.
The Aggies are back in action on Sunday, when they will wrap up this season-opening series against Utah at 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. 6-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, 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 animal science 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.
This story created through content automation technology from Data Skrive.
