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Please be aware that due to Yolo County guidelines and game day protocols, fans are unable to attend home events this season.


DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis wasted no time in jumping out to an early lead in Sunday's non-conference series finale vs. Washington State by scoring twice on a pair of errors in the first inning, and saw the top of its lineup hit solo home runs as the game progressed. Combined with outstanding pitching from the Aggies, the Cougars never came close to erasing their early deficit as the Aggies ended their inaugural series of the season with a 13-5 victory.
 
UC Davis will return to Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium for Sunday's 11:30 a.m. doubleheader vs. Portland with a 1-3 overall record, WSU will return home at 3-1.
 
Nolan Meredith shined throughout his five full innings on the mound as he gave up only one run on five hits, and fanned seven batters to earn the Aggies' first win of the year.
 
Following Kai Janowicz' one inning appearance — WSU recorded only one hit during his stint — Nathan Peng silenced the Cougars' bats by striking out half of his 12 batters faced (including five in a row) to complete his team's impressive outing.
 
From the very opening pitch, UC Davis' bats caught fire as Jalen Smith opened the game with the first of his two doubles out of the five hit by his team throughout the afternoon. 
 
Leading 2-0 through one inning, the Aggies broke the game wide open in the bottom of the third when Smith and Michael Campagna each hit a solo home run over the left field fence to extend their lead to 4-1, at that point of the game.
 
Smith hit 3-for-5 and scored four times, Campagna ended his day batting 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI.
 
Cooper Morrison opened action in the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot to straightaway center, one of three runs scored during a frame that saw UC Davis begin to pull away from WSU since it turned a 4-1 lead into a 7-1 score. Also taking place in the fifth were a pair of RBI singles from Jake Brandel, who hit 3-for-five and scored or drove in five runs, and Ben Griffin, a true freshman who batted 3-for-5 and drove in a run in his UC Davis debut.
 
Even though Washington State scored twice in its half of the sixth, the Aggies responded by two runs of their own to regain their six-run advantage. After leading off sixth with another double, Smith scored two batters later on a double from Campagna. The freshman catcher touched home plate shortly thereafter when Colton Evans smacked a double of his own to right field, which led to the second run of the frame.
 
UC Davis scored in five of the game's first seven innings, its final four runs took place in the seventh on just two hits since WSU walked two batters, hit an Aggie and threw a passed ball. Even though they scored one run on a Campagna single to right center, and another two on a Brandel double, the Aggies took full advantage of the other Cougar miscues to score their 13th, and final run of the day.
 
The Aggies' momentum-generating performance took place in the second of two games played at Phil Swimley Field throughout the day since action began with the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, which was halted due to darkness entering the top of the eighth with the score tied at two.
 
Following a three-run home run hit by Washington State in the top of the ninth, Smith started the Aggies' half of the inning with a five-pitch walk, eventually scoring on two batters later on a single from Brandel. Unfortunately for UC Davis, that was the only run its scored as that one WSU swing allowed it to win the resumed game by a 5-3 score.



ABOUT UC DAVIS
Over 700 student-athletes across 25 intercollegiate athletics teams, following the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, are enrolled in 71 of more than 100 academic programs at the fifth-ranked public school in the nation.
 
Centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley, UC Davis is known nationwide as a leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, ranks annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
 
UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.