Santa Barbara, Calif. — Despite a strong performance from junior Alex Gouveia, who went 2-for-3 with an RBI, the Aggies failed to secure a victory on Saturday, ultimately falling 11-2 to the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.

Freshman pitcher Alejandro Huezo (1-4) got the start for the Aggies and unfortunately was handed the loss after struggling to contain the Gauchos' potent offense. The loss moves UC Davis to 14-24 on the season and 5-12 in Big West action.The loss also clinches the series victory for the Gauchos. The Aggies will get the chance to respond back, tomorrow at 1:05 P.M. PT with an attempt to salvage the series on the road. 

Despite the tough defeat, Gouveia and other Aggies provided noteworthy days. Notably, freshman Leighton Helfrick contributed with a standout showing, going 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. In addition to the strong performances from Gouveia and Helfrick, sophomore Nick Leehey made a valuable contribution to the Aggies' effort, going 2-for-4 in the game. Unfortunately for UC Davis, their individual efforts were not enough to overcome the challenge posed by a formidable UC Santa Barbara squad.

HOW IT HAPPENED
As the game progressed, the Aggies found themselves trailing 4-0 in the third inning, struggling to gain momentum against the Gauchos. It wasn't until later in the game, when UC Davis finally put runs on the board, that they began to show signs of life after Gouveia delivered an RBI single, driving in freshman Joey Wright from third base.

Despite this early success, the Aggies still faced a 6-1 deficit before their offense could muster another run. It wasn't until the sixth inning that Aggies managed to cut into the Gauchos' lead with an RBI single from Helfrick, bringing the score to 6-2 in favor of UC Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, the Aggies were unable to make any further progress, as Gauchos would tack on five runs to their tally and secure the 11-2 victory.

GAME NOTES
» UC Davis pitchers faced 47 UCSB hitters in the game, allowing seven ground balls and 11 fly balls while striking out five.
» The Aggies drew five walks from UCSB pitching.
» Gouveia led the Aggies at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
» UCSB was led offensively by senior Broc Mortensen, who went 2-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI.
» Freshman Hudson Barrett led the Gauchos pitching staff, throwing 6.1 innings of two-run ball.