Teams: UC Davis vs. UC Riverside
Records: Aggies 18-29 (3-6); Highlanders 17-25 (3-6)
Where: La Rue Field
When: Saturday at noon and 2 p.m.; Sunday at noon
Who to watch: Junior Deanna Menapace went 3-for-6 in the Aggies’ non-conference doubleheader against San Jose State on Wednesday.
The Livermore, Calif. native is batting .266 on the season and leads the team with six long balls and 30 RBIs.
Did you know? UC Riverside pitching ace Christin Songer was named the Big West Softball Pitcher of the Week on Monday after tossing 14 shutout innings this past weekend against Pacific.
Songer led the Highlanders for the program’s first conference series win (2-1) since the 2003 season.
Preview: This Picnic Day, the softball team will look to rebound after getting swept Wednesday by San Jose State. The Aggies fell 2-1 and 10-1 to the Spartans, failing to capitalize on another solid pitching outing from Jessica Hancock (13-16).
The junior went six-strong, surrendering only one earned run while striking out three.
In the second game, freshman Alex Holmes (5-13) continues to struggle for the Aggies, as the lefty-hurler allowed three earned runs with seven hits and two walks in 2 2-3 innings. Holmes’ last win came over a month ago on Mar. 4.
Regardless of the team’s pitching woes, its offense will look to show signs of consistent life. In the two-game series, the Aggies scored only two runs on eight hits.
With the pitching staff UC Riverside is bringing to Picnic Day, however, the UC Davis offense might feast.
The Highlanders have a team 3.95 ERA with .305 batting average against.
On offense, the Highlanders are led by sophomore juggernaut Marissa Alvidrez. The pitcher/infielder has a team-high nine home runs and 30 RBIs with a .448, .522, .767 vital line on the season.
Today at La Rue Field, the UC Davis softball team will be hosting a home run derby from 3 to 5 p.m. The cost is $1 per swing and all proceeds will go toward the softball program
