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LONG BEACH, Calif. – UC Davis starter Jake Spillane frustrated Long Beach State throughout his six-inning outing in Friday's Big West Conference series opener from Bohl Diamond at Blair Field by striking out six and retiring the visitors in order for four straight innings, but it was three swings of the bat from the host Dirtbags that led to a 7-0 victory, ending the Aggies' five-game head-to-head win streak since those home runs created a deficit the visitors were unable to erase.
These teams will now experience a quick turnaround since Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 12 p.m. Since in-person attendance is limited to LBSU donors and season ticket holders only, UC Davis baseball fans can watch both games through a video stream or follow the action on live stats (respective links work for each matchup).
Following Long Beach State's two-out, two-run home run in the first inning, Spillane only allowed two hits throughout the next four innings as the Aggies retired their opposition in order in each of those frames. The sophomore right-hander earned half of his strikeouts in the bottom of the fourth when he retired the Dirtbags (25-15, 23-14 BWC) in order swinging.
UC Davis (14-40, 8-29 BWC) created its inaugural scoring opportunity of the day when Connor Longrie hit a two-out single up the middle in the second inning, then advanced to scoring position less than a minute later on a balk.
Unfortunately for the Aggies, Mike Campagna's hard-hit line drive on the subsequent at bat was barely snagged by Long Beach left fielder Charlie Loust, on a play that would have easily allowed Longrie to score from second if he positioned himself anywhere else in that portion of the outfield.
By hitting for the cycle in the bottom of the sixth inning — a leadoff solo home run was followed by a single, double and triple, all on consecutive at bats — LBSU increased its lead to a 5-0 score. After adding an insurance run in the seventh and eighth, the Dirtbags extended their lead to the game's final score, ending the Aggies' streak in the process.
Following tomorrow's twinbill, UC Davis and Long Beach State will end the weekend in Sunday's 1 p.m. season finale.
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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.
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