Score: UC Davis 9, UC Riverside 3
Winning Pitcher: Keenan Anzai (2-1)
Losing Pitcher: Matthew O'Brien (1-2)
Location:Â Davis, Calif.
Records: UC Davis 9-7 (1-0), UC Riverside 10-9 (2-2)
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The short story: After a full week of preparation, the UC Davis Aggies kicked off conference play in emphatic fashion, controlling the game from start to finish in a 9-3 win over UC Riverside on Friday night at Phil Swimley Field.
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FIRST PITCH
- Ethan Felix powered the Aggies' offense with a no-doubt grand slam, finishing the night 2-for-4 with a walk and four RBI
- Keenan Anzai earned the win out of the bullpen, throwing three shutout innings without allowing a hit while walking just one
- Rowen Barnes contributed a scoreless inning of relief, allowing no hits or walks while striking out a pair
- Starter Bryan Green set the tone early, striking out six batters over three innings of work
- Nick Leehey was a key contributor at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBI
- Braydon Wooldridge, the team's batting average leader, continued to churn out quality at bats, going 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI
- Every UC Davis starter reached base safely in the win
- The Aggies' highest-scoring inning was the second, when they pushed seven runs across, highlighted by Felix's grand slam and Leehey's two-run single
- UC Davis out-hit UC Riverside 10-7 and held the Highlanders to just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position
- Aggies pitchers combined to strike out 10 batters, marking the sixth time this season the staff has recorded double-digit strikeouts
- UC Davis drew nine walks from UC Riverside pitching, forcing the Highlanders to use seven different pitchers
- UC Riverside's offense was led by Vacaville native Griffin Harrison, who went 2-for-4 with a double
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Green started strong, recording five strikeouts through the first two innings
- The Aggies' offense exploded in the second inning to supplement the efforts on the hill, scoring seven runs to take a 7-0 lead
- Felix's grand slam and Leehey's two-run single were the highlights of the inning
- UC Riverside responded with three runs in the top of the third, cutting the deficit to 7-3
- Both teams went scoreless in the fourth before UC Davis added runs in the fifth and sixth innings
- In the fifth, Leehey delivered an RBI single to extend the Aggies' lead to 8-3
- In the sixth, Jaxon Murphy came through with a pinch-hit single to left field, scoring Korey Williams and pushing the lead to 9-3
- After allowing three runs in the third, the Aggies' pitching staff, led by Anzai, shut out UC Riverside over the final six innings to secure the 9-3 victory
UP NEXT: UC Davis will continue its series against UC Riverside tomorrow at 2 p.m. PT at Phil Swimley Field.
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