IRVINE, Calif. — In an exhilarating comeback, the UC Davis Aggies overturned a 9-1 ninth-inning deficit to secure a 12-10 triumph in the 11th inning against the No. 19 ranked UC Irvine Anteaters this Sunday.
Sophomore pitcher
Braydon Wooldridge (1-0) clinched the win for UC Davis, who now stand at 10-9 overall and 1-2 in the conference. Wooldridge delivered a sterling 2.2 innings, relinquishing just one run on two hits, with no walks and two strikeouts. In addition to his performance on the mound, Wooldridge also was able to deliver the game-tying, two-RBI double in the top of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.
Wooldridge's strong effort on the mound was supplemented by
Mason Lerma,
Andrew LaCour, and
Carter Speights, all of which came in and threw scoreless innings to keep the Aggies in the ballgame.
At the plate, junior
Jason Hanson led the Aggies' charge, going a perfect 4-for-4, including a walk and an RBI. His stellar day at the plate was highlighted by his single in the top of the ninth which jumpstarted the Aggie rally.
Junior
Mark Wolbert was the go-to-guy for UC Davis when they needed someone to drive in runners, finishing the day going 2-for-5 with a team-high three RBIs to his name. On the flip side,
Nick Leehey was the Aggies run scorer all game, going 3-6 with a double, and a team-high three runs scored. Leehey was able to come across the plate for the Aggies after Wolbert singled in the top of the 11th and provided UC Davis much needed insurance to take the two-run lead.
Senior
Jack Gallagher delivered the exclamation point of the day, making the most of his sole plate appearance, notching a home run and an RBI, to further bolster UC Davis' offensive prowess and in an essence, secure the win for UC Davis.
As a team the Aggies out-hit UC Irvine 15-13. UC Davis also had eight separate players drive in runs with Wolbert, Wooldridge, and
Alex Gouveia contributing multiple RBIs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Aggies were trailing 5-0 in the fifth inning when they first put runs on the board with
Nick Leehey initiating their scoring and crossing the plate to mark their first run.
Despite this, the Anteaters would hold the Aggies in check continue to their gap, eventually getting it to 9-1, entering the top of the ninth.
With nearly everyone in the ballpark ready to call it ballgame, the Aggies had other plans, and would rally back to score eight runs in the half, tying the game at 9-9. The offensive surge was spearheaded by a two-run double from Wooldridge and a clutch two-run single by Gouveia.
The deadlock was broken in the tenth inning when UC Davis edged ahead 10-9, courtesy of an RBI single from Senior
Theo Forshey. However, the Anteaters responded to level the score at 10-10 off a Dub Gleed home run.
Undeterred, the Aggies seized back control and momentum in the eleventh inning, adding two more runs to their tally, including a decisive solo home run by Gallagher. This offensive push secured a 12-10 lead for UC Davis, which they maintained with the help of Wooldridge who closed the door on the Anteaters to secure the victory.
GAME NOTES
» UC Davis' highest scoring inning was the ninth, when it pushed eight runs across.
» The Aggies had a total of 15 hits.
» The Aggies out-hit the Anteaters at a 15-13 clip.
» UC Davis went 8-for-15 (.533) with runners in scoring position.
» The Aggies got three hits in five at-bats with the bases loaded.
» UC Davis pitchers faced 54 UC Irvine hitters in the game, allowing three ground balls and 22 fly balls while striking out seven.
» The Aggies drew four walks from UC Irvine pitching.
» Hanson led the Aggies at the plate, going 4-for-4 with an RBI.
» UC Irvine was led offensively by junior Woody Hadeen, who went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI.
