DAVIS, Calif. — The UC Davis Aggies rallied to score two in the ninth inning and walked it off on a two-run single off the bat of junior
Alex Gouveia to pick up the 8-7 win over the Utah Valley Wolverines Monday.
Gouveia was seeing it well at the plate all day, going 4-for-5. In addition to his walk-off single, Gouveia had a double and finished with two RBI.
Freshman
Sal Batres (2-1) got the win out of the bullpen for UC Davis (9-7). The right-hander came into the ball-game with bases loaded and two outs in relief for
Carter Speights and came through with the biggest out of the day for the Aggies, retiring the Wolverine's cleanup hitter Garrett Broussard, getting him to roll into an easy 4-3 putout. Senior
Andrew LaCour also pitched well, going one shutout inning without allowing a hit, walking one and striking out one. Batres, LaCour, Speights, and
Ian Torpey all recorded shutout appearances.
Making his first start of the season,
Theo Forshey made the most of it, going 1-for-4 and delivering the loudest hit of the game for the Aggies, mashing a two-run home run over the right field fence to help UC Davis take a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Sophomore
Leighton Helfrick made a significant impact for UC Davis as well, going 2-for-4 with a double to his credit. He also wreaked havoc on the base paths, swiping two bags.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Aggies faced a 2-0 deficit in the opening inning but quickly narrowed the gap. Gouveia crossed the plate to notch UC Davis's initial run of the contest.
Maintaining a one-run shortfall, the Aggies drew level in the third inning. Freshman
Jaxon Murphy scored, bringing the tally to an even 2-2.
The stalemate was broken by Utah Valley, who surged ahead with a 4-2 lead as the game progressed into the sixth inning. However, UC Davis seized control with a 6-4 lead, fueled by a spirited offensive inning that featured four runs, highlighted by Forshey's two-run homer.
In a dramatic turn, Utah Valley mounted a comeback to secure a 7-6 advantage, highlighted by a home run themselves off the bat of Nate Bach. Yet, it was UC Davis who had the final say, clinching victory with two runs in the ninth inning's dying moments, culminating in a walk-off two-run single from Gouveia.
GAME NOTES
» Gouveia racked up four hits on the day for UC Davis.
» UC Davis' highest scoring inning was the sixth, when it pushed four runs across.
» Helfrick stole two bases in Monday's game.
» Gouveia led the Aggies at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a double and two RBI.
» Utah Valley was led offensively by junior Nate Bach, who went 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBI.
UP NEXT
UC Davis will look to carry the momentum from this victory into their Big West opener, as they square off against nationally ranked UC Irvine this weekend at Cicerone Field. The series with the Anteaters will run from Friday, March 15 through Sunday, March 17.
