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DAVIS, Calif. – After UC Davis tied the second game of Saturday's Big West doubleheader at eight after scoring in the bottom of the seventh, CSUN regained its advantage by scoring one run of its own when it returned to the plate in the top of the eighth, and led 9-8 heading into the bottom of that inning.
That was the last Matador highlight of the afternoon because the Aggies responded by scoring five runs and turning their one-run deficit into a 13-9 victory.
Isaiah Verrett and
Nick Iverson started the Aggies' rally when each were hit by a pitch with one out already recorded. Joined on base after
Jalen Smith drew a walk,
Cooper Morrison's single down the left field line allowed two of his teammates to score, which gave their team the lead for good.
Following a wild pitch, which allowed Smith to score and extend UC Davis' lead to 12-9 in the process,
Spencer Gedestad's single to left allowed
Daniel Carrion to race around the corner from second base and cap a thrilling inning for the Ags.
Returning to the mound with a four-run lead,
Zach Carrell retired the Matadors in order in the top of the ninth to collect his third win of the season and help UC Davis secure a split of Saturday's doubleheader.
Throughout Carrell's 4.1 innings he struckout four and allowed only four hits.
UC Davis' eighth-inning rally marked the fourth lead change of that game, one that started with CSUN (15-16, 15-16 BWC) scoring the first run in the opening inning, followed by a pair scored by UC Davis (12-32, 6-21 BWC) in the bottom of the second.
Even though the Matadors evened things at two after scoring again in the third, their four-run fourth led to a 6-2 advantage heading into the bottom half of the frame
That cushion lasted only a handful of minutes because the Aggies regained the lead one again, at 7-6, after pushing five across the plate throughout their set of at bats.
Following singles from Gedestad and
Kyler Arenado, Verrett drove in three of his single-game career-high four RBI on the first ball thrown his way — a pitched that landed near the UC Davis fire station following a blast that easily sailed over the left field fence for his second home run of the season.
After drawing three consecutive walks, UC Davis scored their final pair of runs on wild pitches thrown on consecutive at bats.
This back-and-forth battle continued when CSUN scored a run in its half of the fifth and six innings, which turned the score towards its favor at 8-7 entering the seventh inning.
However, by scoring six of the game's final seven runs and ending the day with a victory, UC Davis will now have a chance to split its weekend series against the Matadors when both teams return to Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium for Sunday's 1 p.m. series finale.
UC Davis provided the perfect response following a tough first game that saw started Tim Weiser allow only one earned run throughout his five-innings thrown.
Even though the Ags responded to CSUN's two-run first inning by immediately scoring three of their own, and held a 5-4 lead entering the eighth, the Matadors scored five runs in their penultimate set of at bats to lead 9-5 entering the ninth, and added another pair of runs to record an 11-5 win.
In that game, Smith finished 4-for-5 with a run and a RBI; he drew a pair of walks and scored another two runs in the following game.
Fans who are unable to attend Sunday's game in person can follow the action through a
video stream or
live stats.
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.
