DAVIS, Calif. -- Junior left fielder Alyse Rojas hit a combined 4-for-7 with a homer, senior righthander Katie Kibby posted a season-best nine strikeouts in her complete game win, and senior shortstop Isabella Leon delivered a walk-off homer against UConn, highlighting UC Davis' Day 1 sweep during the Capital Classic softball tournament at La Rue Field Friday.

The Aggies scored three runs in the seventh to clip UConn by a 3-2 final in the opener, then weathered a late comeback to defeat Santa Clara, 8-5, in the nightcap.

Alyse Rojas and catcher Riley Siegel also homered during the doubleheader, both against SCU: Siegel's first-pitch shot to left ignited a five-run third inning, then Rojas bounced a shot off the La Rue Field scoreboard netting in the sixth.

Kibby's nine strikeouts are the most since she fanned a career-high 10 against Northern Colorado almost two full years ago. She did not allow a hit during the first three innings, then gave up her only two runs in a two-out Husky rally in the fourth. Second baseman Kiwi McDaniel -- coincidentally, a Vacaville native like Kibby and the two Rojas sisters -- punched in a two-run single in that frame.

Alyse Rojas held UConn to the 2-0 lead with her outfield kill at the plate, when pinch runner Cali Jolley attempted to score on a Reese Guevarra single. Kibby retired six straight to end her start. 

In the bottom of the seventh, still facing that 2-0 deficit, second baseman Sommer Kisling led things off with a hit to center. She moved up 60 feet on Leah Polson's groundout, then went to third on an Alyse Rojas hit. Rojas was thrown out attempting to take another base but center fielder Marissa Jauregui walked to put Aggies on the corners. That set the table for Leon's heroics: she deposited an 0-2 pitch near her team's own batting cages for the walk-off homer.

The UC Davis bats continued to stay hot into the game against the Broncos. The Aggies scored two runs on no hits (a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly pushed across the runners), then Siegel's homer started the five-run rally in the third. Polson, Maddie Rojas and Alyse Rojas came up with back-to-back-to-back doubles as part of that outburst.

Santa Clara cut into the Aggie lead with a five-run fourth, with third baseman Emma Bickford highlighting the Bronco offense with her three-run homer to left center. Sophomore lefty Taliyah Miles entered in relief of true freshman Kenedi Brown in that inning, and finished out the contest with just one unearned run in 2.2 innings for UC Davis.

Siegel, Leon and Alyse Rojas now have five home runs apiece for the Aggies through 17 games. 

The Capital Classic continues through Sunday. UC Davis faces Utah State at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, then concludes the day with a 2 p.m. matchup with Texas State. Complete tournament info is available at https://ucdavisaggies.com/sports/2020/1/29/sports-w-softbl-spec-rel-2020-capital-classic.aspx
 

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