Score: UC San Diego 9, UC Davis 5
Location: Davis, Calif. (Dobbins Stadium)
Records: UC Davis 11-14 (5-7 Big West), UC San Diego 12-13 (8-1 Big West)

THE SHORT STORY: UC Davis fell 9-5 in its series finale against UC San Diego on Sunday afternoon at Dobbins Stadium. Despite a resilient early offensive effort from the Aggies, who rallied to tie the game in the first inning and took a brief lead in the fourth behind a solo home run from Elijah McNeal, the Tritons used a consistent scoring attack to pull away in the late innings.

LEADING OFF

• Elijah McNeal had a standout performance at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and a run scored.
• Joey Wright collected a team-high three hits for the Aggies, going 3-for-4 and scoring a run.
• Tyler Howard contributed another multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
• Zach Story sparked the offense early, tallying an RBI single and a run scored in a 1-for-3 effort.
• Ethan Felix chipped in with a sacrifice fly to drive in a run during the opening inning.
• Eli Solem was a bright spot out of the bullpen, striking out four batters across 2.1 innings of relief work.
• Carter Speights provided a clean 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to finish out the game on the mound.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• UC San Diego struck first with a three-run opening frame, capitalizing on an RBI single and a pair of bases-loaded walks to take an immediate 3-0 lead.
• UC Davis answered right back in the bottom of the first inning. Story laced an RBI single to left, Felix lifted a sacrifice fly, and McNeal delivered an RBI single to center, immediately tying the game at 3-3.
• The Tritons reclaimed the lead in the second inning when a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch forced in a run, making it 4-3.
• The Aggies surged ahead in the fourth inning. McNeal launched a solo home run to left field to tie the game, and Howard followed up later in the frame with an RBI single to score Wright, giving UC Davis a 5-4 advantage.
• UC San Diego leveled the score at 5-5 in the fifth inning by pushing a run across on an RBI groundout.
• The Tritons retook the lead for good in the sixth inning with a solo home run to right field, edging ahead 6-5.
• UC San Diego added three crucial insurance runs in the eighth inning, highlighted by a two-run single to center, extending their lead to 9-5 and securing the victory.

UP NEXT
UC Davis will step out of conference play for a midweek matchup, hosting San Francisco this Tuesday at 6 p.m.