SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Senior center fielder Marissa Jauregui supplied a triple and the go-ahead RBI single, while both first baseman Sarah Starks and designated player Bella Pahulu collected two hits and an RBI, leading UC Davis to a 5-2 win over UC Santa Barbara in Big West Conference softball action at Campus Diamond Saturday.
The Aggies improve to 16-21 for the season with a 9-8 conference record. The Gauchos fall to 10-30 overall and 7-11 in Big West play.
Left fielder Leah Polson hit 1-for-3 with a two-run double. Catcher Anna Dethlefson also provided a hit and a stolen base, while her batterymate, righthander Kenedi Brown, earned the complete-game win with five hits allowed and seven strikeouts against two walks.
UCSB drew first blood in the contest when second baseman Maci Fines lofted a sacrifice fly to score leadoff hitter Sammy Fabian in the opening frame. UC Davis equalized in the top of the second when Jauregui sent a drive toward the right-center gap. Gaucho right fielder Ally Nodohara attempted to make diving catch but came up short, allowing the Aggie fifth-year to reach third for her second career triple. Jauregui then came across on an infield single by Bella Pahulu on the next at-bat.
UCSB regained a 2-1 lead in the fourth on another sacrifice fly, but UC Davis stormed back in the top of the sixth: back-to-back bobbles by pitcher Emily Schuttish in front of the circle opened the door for a four-run Aggie outburst. Starks and Jauregui each delivered RBI singles to bring in runners from second, then Polson slammed a double down the left-field line to bring in both Starks and Jauregui.
Meanwhile, Brown retired six straight to protect the lead the rest of the way. Saturday's victory brings her season record to 10-10 and marks her 16th complete game of the year.
The Aggies host their finale home series of the year on May 8-9 against Cal Poly. The set consists of a 1 p.m. doubleheader that Friday, then a single 1 p.m. Senior Day game on Saturday.
ABOUT UC DAVIS:
Centrally located between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, over 700 student-athletes across 25 teams enjoy an unrivaled undergraduate experience at the fifth-ranked public school in the country.
Ranked annually in the nation's top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis and its innovative Aggie EVO system helps student-athletes develop passions, connect with a comprehensive network of alums and industry leaders, gain real-world experience and thrive as a young professional following a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school.
