Score: UC Davis 5, Long Beach State 4
Location: Davis, Calif. (Dobbins Stadium)
Winning Pitcher: Carter Delaney (4-2)
Losing Pitcher: Mike Villani (1-3)
Records: UC Davis 20-23 (6-13), Long Beach State 20-21-1 (7-12)
The short story: A wild pitch walk off sealed the fate for the Aggies as UC Davis rallied to score two runs in the ninth inning to topple Long Beach State in Friday's series opener.
LEADING OFF
- UC Davis had three outs left in the bottom of the ninth, trailing 4-3 and came back, scoring two runs to secure the walk off
- UC Davis outhit Long Beach State at 9-8 clip, improving to 12-2 in games in which they do so
- Ethan Felix continued to impress in his return to the Aggie lineup, going 2-for-5 with a late double that ignited the comeback win
- While Felix supplied the power, Tyler Howard was the initiator, drawing the key walk in the ninth to jumpstart the inning, to go along with a 1-for-4 day which included a double and UC Davis' first two RBIs
- Carter Delaney, Bryan Green, Kaden Ricommini and Kaden Hogan commanded the strike zone for the Aggies, limiting the Dirtbags to a 1-for-13 showing with runners in scoring position, while combining to strike out seven
- Green tossed 5.0 innings, surrendering just one run while allowing only three hits in his strong start
- Long Beach State was led offensively by Connor Charpiot, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Trailing 1-0, the Aggies first put runs on the board in the second inning
- UC Davis scored three runs in the frame, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Howard
- Long Beach State then rallied to take a 4-3 lead, scoring a pair in the seventh, and capitalizing on a UC Davis balk to score one in the ninth
- From the fourth inning on, UC Davis recorded at least one base runner, and had plenty of opportunities to add on insurance to their lead
- The Aggies unable to cash in on chances with runners in scoring position early in the game, made the most of their chances in the ninth as UC Davis scored two runs in the bottom half of the ninth to grab the win, walking it off when sophomore Leighton Helfrick came across to score with Braydon Wooldridge up at the plate
NOTABLE
- The win for UC Davis signifies Coach Tommy Nicholson's first season with 20 or more wins, a huge achievement that comes off the heels of UC Davis first sweep of Sacramento State since 2016
NEXT UP
UC Davis will look to secure the series against Long Beach State tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. (PT). Due to inclement weather, delays may take place. Stay up to date with any changes through ucdavisaggies.com.
