Event: Stacey Winsberg Memorial Tournament
Teams: UC Davis vs. Portland State; at UCLA
Records: Aggies, (5-2); Vikings, (2-4); Bruins, (3-1)
Where: Easton Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.
When: Saturday at 11 a.m.; 4 p.m.
Who to watch: Senior Sarah Axelson currently has the second-highest batting average in the Big West Conference (.563).
Axelson posted nine hits at the UNLV Sportco Kick-Off Classic, including the game-winner that drove in the eighth Aggie run against Cal State Bakersfield (8-7).
Did you know: With 38 hits and a .381 on base percentage, UC Davis led the league with 26 runs through the first five matches of the season.
Preview: Based on the team’s performance in the opening tournament, coach Karen Yoder is optimistic about the season.
She said the squad showed character and tenacity during the three days of competition.
That tenacity continued on Tuesday as UC Davis rallied back from 3-0 deficits in both games of a doubleheader against Sacramento State.
Junior Alex Holmes earned a pair of victories to sweep the Hornets (4-3; 7-3).
Holmes also contributed to a supportive offense in the first game with two hits. Axelson, Elizabeth Santana and Megan Guzman all had RBI.
Guzman’s infield single was the game-winning hit that drove in sophomore Kelly Harman in the bottom of the eighth inning.
In the latter half of the doubleheader, UC Davis fell behind 3-0 in the top of the third inning as a three-run homerun marked the first runs for Sacramento State.
With the help of a pair of Hornet errors, the Aggies responded promptly in the bottom of the third with a string of hits to make the score 4-3.
UC Davis added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to seal the victory as Sacramento State could not respond in the top of the sixth.
“We’re definitely battling this year,” Yoder said. “I’m extremely excited how this team brings that presence of just ‘never say die’ and continues to battle. It’s a nice a feeling. We have good team chemistry right now.”
– Grace Sprague
