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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Trailing 5-4 in the top of the ninth during Sunday's series finale at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, Nick Iverson led things off with a single through the right side of the diamond to reach base safely. Moments later, a UCSB balk allowed him to take second, placing the tying run 180 feet from home.
 
However,  the host Gauchos were able to keep him at second until the game ended by forcing pop up to foul territory in shallow right field, and consecutive swinging strikeouts, as the Aggies were edged, 5-4, by UC Santa Barbara.
 
UC Davis will return home at 5-17 overall and 0-8 in Big West play while UCSB, the preseason conference favorites, will continue its season at 15-7 and 6-2.
 
After the Gauchos scored a run in the bottom of the second to take an early 1-0 lead, the Aggies responded with a run of their own in the top of the third to pull even at one apiece.
 
J.D. Mico started the inning with a single to left, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Jalen Smith, then scored on the next at bat on Cooper Morrison's single to center field.
 
Even though the Gauchos regained the lead by scoring a pair of runs in the fifth, a resilient UC Davis squad provided the perfect response by scoring two runs of its own when it returned to the plate.

Smith started the sixth by reaching base on a hit-by-pitch, and was joined on base shortly thereafter by Morrison, thanks to a single to right that placed Aggies on first and second with zero outs. Two batters later, both baserunners touched home plate, and Brandel placed himself into scoring position when he blasted a double to center, tying the score at 3-3 in the process.
 
An action-packed eighth inning began with the Aggies taking their first lead of the day.

As was the case with its two previous scoring opportunities, their leadoff batter reached base safely, thanks to Smith's single to left. Following a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt from Morrison, Ben Griffin allowed Smith to score from second on a single to right field, which gave the Ags a 4-3 lead.
 
In the bottom half of that frame, UCSB tied the score at four on a solo home run, and took the lead for good four batters later on a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
UC Davis will return to Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium for its next Big West series, starting with Friday's 2:30 p.m. matchup against UC Riverside. The weekend will continue with Saturday's 12 p.m. doubleheader, followed by next Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale.
 
A live video stream and live stats are available for all four games between the Aggies and Highlanders.    
 
 
 
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.