UC Davis went 2-1 in its very own Aggie Stampede after suffering losses to Iona, Stanford and San Jose State.
In the tournament, the Aggies defeated their Causeway rivals from Sacramento State.
“”I am so proud of the team and its ability to step up and bring home the Causeway Cup to the Aggies,” said coach Karen Yoder.
Mar. 15 – Game 1: UC Davis 9, Iona 5
A two-out rally beginning with a single from Kylie Fan was enough to put four runs on the board in the second inning.
Alex Holmes, who went 2-for-3 in game one of the doubleheader against Iona, knocked in another run in the fourth to put UC Davis ahead 5-0 as they went into the fifth inning.
The Gaels answered back in the top of the sixth with five runs to tie the game, but the Aggies fought on.
Jessica Gonzalez, Sarah Axelson and Rachel Miller all contributed to a solid Aggie offense in the 9-5 victory.
Holmes picked up the win in relief as she pitched 1.1 innings and gave up just one hit.
Mar. 15 – Game 2: Iona 3, UC Davis 2
The Gaels took an early lead with three runs in the top of the second inning.
Defensive errors by Iona allowed UC Davis to come to within 3-2 by the end of the fourth.
That’s as close as the Aggies would get as the Gaels ran away with the 3-2 win.
Holmes had another solid relief effort as she threw 5.1 innings with no runs, eight strikeouts and just one walk.
Mar. 23 – No. 9 Stanford 6, UC Davis 2
UC Davis ended Stanford ace Teagan Gerhart’s streak of three no-hitters as the Aggies’ Fan and Heather Zimmerman posted a hit apiece in a 6-2 loss to the Cardinal.
Stanford struck first in the third inning with five runs and again in the fifth with one more.
UC Davis broke through in the sixth inning when Zimmerman delivered a one-out double and eventually came around for the first Aggie run.
Despite the loss, Dana Waldusky allowed just one run on three hits in 4.1 innings of relief.
Wednesday – San Jose State 5, UC Davis 4
The Aggies fell behind early as the Spartans scored a run in each of the first two innings of the 5-4 loss.
UC Davis tied the game in the third inning and pulled ahead in the fourth, but the Spartans responded in the fifth to tie the game again at three runs.
In the bottom of the fifth, a two-out single by Zimmerman drove in the final Aggie run to regain the lead.
The Spartans’ four-hit rally in the sixth inning scored two runs to account for the final score.
Friday – UC Davis 7, Sacramento State 5
UC Davis opened the Aggie Stampede with a 7-5 victory over Sacramento State – a win that allowed the Aggies to bring home the Causeway Cup.
The Hornets jumped ahead first with a pair of walks in the first inning, but the tables quickly turned as Elizabeth Santana delivered a two-out, two-run single to drive in Fan and JJ Wagoner for a 2-1 lead in the second inning.
UC Davis scored five more times and maintain the lead as Sacramento State was only able to score twice more.
Saturday – UC Davis 1, Saint Mary’s 0 (8)
Striking out eight batters, Waldusky fired a complete-game victory as UC Davis defeated Saint Mary’s 1-0 in the second game of the Aggie Stampede.
“We had great defense with a wonderful performance by Dana in the circle,” Yoder said.
Fan delivered a hit in the bottom of the eighth inning to drive in Zimmerman and win the game.
Sunday – California 4, UC Davis 0
UC Davis closed out the tournament with a 4-0 loss to California.
Waldusky had another solid performance with 5.1 innings in the circle while allowing just two earned runs with five hits and six strikeouts.
The Aggies are next in action on Apr. 2 when they begin a three-game Big West Conference series at Cal State Northridge.
GRACE SPRAGUE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
