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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Trailing 4-2 in the top of the eighth with two outs already recorded, pinch hitter Jackson O'Boy's clutch double down the left field line allowed Jake Brandel and Connor Longrie to tie the score in Friday's series opener in Santa Barbara, California.

On the ensuing at bat, Spencer Gedestad allowed O'Boy to race home and record the fourth lead change of the night, which gave UC Davis a 5-4 advantage entering the bottom of the eighth.
 
In that half of the frame, UC Santa Barbara turned a one-out hit-by-pitch into the tying run when Steele Ledford's double allowed Broc Mortensen to score from third. After Nathan Peng entered the game with two outs, the Gauchos ended the inning with the bases loaded after the Aggie reliever forced Kyle Johnson to hit a pop fly to center, preserving a deadlocked score in the process.
 
With the score tied at five entering the bottom of the ninth, Peng struckout Nick Vogt looking, then saw a Gaucho reach base on an error on Cole Cummings' blooper to shallow left center.

The fifth, and final lead change took place moments later when Marcos Castanon's line drive landed just inside the right field line and rolled towards the corner, which allowed Castanon to score the decisive run.  
 
Brandel finished 3-for-4 at the plate and scored twice; in addition to O'Boy, Gedestad also drove in two Aggies with Cooper Morrison responsible for the team's other RBI.
 
Jake Spillane fanned eight throughout his seven innings thrown, and did not allow an earned run since the Gauchos scored their first four runs off three Aggie errors.

The Aggies will return to Caesar Uyesaka Stadium for Saturday's 1 p.m. doubleheader with a 5-14 overall and 0-5 Big West record while UCSB improves to 12-7 and 3-2 with Friday's result. A video stream and live stats are available for both games. 
 
 
 
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.