Game One Score: UC Davis 5, Cal State Bakersfield 3 (10 innings)
Game Two Score: Cal State Bakersfield 8, UC Davis 2
Location: Davis, Calif. (Dobbins Stadium)
Records: UC Davis 15-18 (7-11 Big West), Cal State Bakersfield 15-21 (6-9 Big West)
THE SHORT STORY: Ethan Felix delivered a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to cap a thrilling 5-3 victory in the opener of Friday's doubleheader at Dobbins Stadium, clinching the series for UC Davis over Cal State Bakersfield. The Roadrunners responded in the rain-filled nightcap with an early eight-run barrage to take the second game 8-2, but the Aggies secured the series win 2-1 after Keenan Anzai's complete-game shutout in Thursday's opener.
LEADING OFF
- Felix was the hero of Game 1, launching a two-run walk-off home run to right center field in the bottom of the 10th inning to send the Aggies to a 5-3 victory. The first baseman finished 2-for-5 with the homer and two RBI.
- Noel Valdez turned in a gutsy seven-inning start in Game 1, holding Cal State Bakersfield to three runs on eight hits while striking out a season-high seven across 100 pitches.
- Mason Lerma earned the Game 1 win (3-1) with three scoreless innings of one-hit relief, striking out three on 39 pitches.
- Houston Hirschkorn delivered twice in clutch spots in Game 1, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, including the go-ahead single in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and force extras.
- Braydon Wooldridge was also productive in the opener, finishing 2-for-5 with a double and a triple.
- Joey Wright had a quality day at the plate, driving in three runs across the doubleheader including both UC Davis RBIs in Game 2.
- In Game 2, the Aggie bullpen combined for 7.1 innings of stingy relief behind starter Matthew Barnes II, with Jack Pezzolo (3.1 IP, 5 K), Tyler Wood (2.0 IP, 4 K) and Peter Storjohann (1.0 IP, 2 K) highlighting the effort.
- Ryan Lee reached base five times across the two games, drawing three walks and adding two hits.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game One
- UC Davis struck first with a two-run second inning, using RBI singles from Hirschkorn and a sacrifice fly by Wright to take a 2-0 lead.
- Cal State Bakersfield flipped the score in the top of the fourth, plating three runs on an Evan Cloyd solo home run, an Elgin Bennett RBI triple and an RBI single from Nick Mascaro to take a 3-2 advantage.
- The Aggies knotted the game in the bottom of the ninth, as Lee doubled down the right field line and pinch runner Jack Castagnola scored on Hirschkorn's RBI single up the middle to force extra innings.
- After a scoreless top of the 10th, Felix ended it in dramatic fashion. With McNeal aboard after reaching on error, the first baseman launched a walk-off home run to right center to secure the 5-3 win and clinch the series.
Game Two
- Cal State Bakersfield jumped out with a run in the first on an RBI groundout before breaking the game open with a six-run second inning to take a 7-0 lead.
- UC Davis answered in the bottom of the second with an RBI walk from Wright to plate Lee, cutting the deficit to 7-1.
- The Roadrunners tacked on their final run of the day in the third on a solo home run from Cloyd, pushing the lead to 8-1.
- Wright drove in his second run of the game in the seventh on an RBI single that scored Lee, accounting for the 8-2 final.
UP NEXT
UC Davis returns to the field on April 14 at Dobbins Stadium, hosting Pacific for $2 Tuesday.
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS:
UC Davis, ranked No. 2 among public universities by the Wall Street Journal in the value of a college degree, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked top in the United States in agriculture and forestry as well as No. 1 in veterinary medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.Â
