This weekend, the Aggies were simply outdone.
After three losses at Cal Poly, UC Davis suffered its second Big West Conference sweep of the 2010-11 campaign.
According to coach Rex Peters, the Mustangs deserved it.
“[The Mustangs] were better than us in all phases of the game,” Peters said. “They pitched better and secured the ball on defense better than [we did] and had more competitive at-bats in key situations.”
With the series loss, the Aggies move to 16-29 overall and 8-9 in league play.
Friday – Cal Poly 4, UC Davis 2
Friday’s series-opener was as a pitching duel right off the bat.
To begin the game, Mustang starter Mason Radeke and Aggie Scott Lyman traded 1-2-3 performances in the first frame.
Overall, Lyman’s outing featured six strikeouts and just four earned runs in seven solid innings on the hill.
Unfortunately for Lyman, he was his own worst enemy, said Peters.
“[Lyman] should have been able to win,” Peters said. “We didn’t command the strike zone very well and we sort of shot ourselves in the foot there.”
The Aggies struggled to tame the Mustangs at the plate, surrendering three runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Cal Poly went on to win 4-2.
Saturday – Cal Poly 4, UC Davis 2
In the second contest of the weekend, junior Anthony Kupbens threw a complete game, giving up four earned runs with two strikeouts.
Behind a pair of singles from Scott Heylman and David Popkins, the Aggies came out on top offensively in the first inning. Cal Poly countered with a run of its own during the bottom of the frame.
However, a big fifth inning would ensure a Mustang win as they recorded three runs on four hits.
The Aggies’ main problem was the Mustang starter, who threw a complete game as well.
Cal Poly’s Steven Fischback surrendered just two earned runs, striking out 13. In nine innings on the mound, Fischback retired the side in order four times.
“You have to give [Fischback] credit,” Peters said. “He had a good swagger going and we didn’t make good adjustments at the plate. The guys just out-pitched us.”
Sunday – Cal Poly 11, UC Davis 4
The Mustang bullpen was relentless in game three as it allowed just one hit over 4.2 innings of work. Aggies were out-hit 7-2 in the final four innings.
UC Davis built a 4-1 lead until the bottom of the fifth, when Cal Poly exploded for four runs.
“We scored some runs early and then we kind of fell apart in that fifth inning,” Peters said. “[Cal Poly] made us pay for those errors. We kind of just shut it down and stopped competing at that point.”
In the top of the ninth, UC Davis had one last shot to make a difference, but went down in order.
“We tried to get a couple left-handed bats against a tough right-handed pitcher [in the ninth],” Peters said. “Just to get something going. Unfortunately it didn’t work.”
The Aggies take on the California Golden Bears today at Dobbins Stadium. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
According to Peters, the team won’t be focusing on any one aspect of the game going into Tuesday’s matchup.
“We’re just trying to find guys that will compete hard,” Peters said. “It’s something we’ve been struggling with all year. We’re trying to find the right combination of guys who will be willing to compete for it.”
GRACE SPRAGUE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
