Aggies sports action from April 20 to 26
Baseball (25-16-1)
UC Davis vs. San Jose State (W, 6-5)
UC Davis vs. University of Pacific (W, W, W)
After a tough stretch that included five losses in six games, UC Davis baseball has now won four straight including three over the University of Pacific. The first game was won in exciting fashion as senior Austin March batted in a runner for a walk-off win over San Jose State. The game was close only after the Aggies allowed two runs in the final inning.
The first game against University of Pacific was another tight contest as the Aggies won due to a score in the eighth inning. UC Davis was only able to score four runs despite getting 10 hits. The second game of the series was almost lost after Pacific scored three runs in the final two innings, falling just one short of forcing extra innings. On the last day of the stretch, UC Davis was finally capitalize on its hot hitting as 11 runs scored on 15 hits. Junior Max Cordy got the pitching win, moving him to an outstanding 8-2 record for the year.
Women’s Golf:
Big West Conference Championship (1st)
The six-peat is on for UC Davis women’s golf after winning another Big West Conference Championship. The Aggies led throughout the entire three-day stretch, never faltering on their home turf. On the first day, the team finished three strokes above second place Hawai’i, with senior Blair Lewis leading after shooting a career-best 4-under 68.
Lewis struggled on the second day, but the rest of her team thrived in the competition. Junior Andrea Wong surged to first place individually with a 4-under 68 while sophomore Paige Lee and junior Betty Chen jumped to fifth. Their outstanding play built a 12 stroke lead over Hawai’i and a 39 stroke lead over third place Cal Poly.
Despite the huge lead, the Aggies continued to push down on the throttle throughout the final day of play. After some jockeying at the top, Wong finished in first individually while Lee took third, Chen took fourth and Lewis ended the day in fifth. The team extended their lead over Hawai’i to 29 strokes. UC Davis women’s golf will now move on to NCAA Regionals on May 7.
Lacrosse (4-13):
UC Davis vs. No. 15 Stanford (L, 15-6)
UC Davis vs. Saint Mary’s (W, 19-11)
On senior night, the Aggies fell to visiting No. 15 Stanford 15-6 after allowing their opponent to score 11 unanswered in the first half. UC Davis actually outscored their opponent 6-4 in the second half, but never came close to mounting a significant comeback. Seven seniors were honored before the game, including goalie Kai Murphy who played the entirety of the game in the net.
With the season all but over, the Aggies put together perhaps their finest performance of the year while visiting Saint Mary’s. UC Davis jumped out to a 7-4 lead at halftime, but really put their opponent away in the second half. Junior Courtney Neff was spectacular after career-highs of six goals and three assists. Lacrosse finishes their season 4-13, despite winning their last game.
Softball (17-26):
UC Davis @ University of Pacific (L, 8-2)
UC Davis @ UC Riverside (L, L, L)
The Aggies came into a single game matchup against University of Pacific hot off of a three-game win streak, but were unable to capitalize on the momentum as they fell 8-2. Pacific got off to a fast start, scoring four in the first two innings before heaping on four more runs in the final two innings. Sophomore Andrea Reynolds received the pitching loss.
Defense was the name of the game in the first matchup against UC Riverside as the two battled at a 0-0 draw until a lone run in the 13th inning. This was the longest game in UC Davis Division I history, tying a game in 2007. The Saturday double-header proved to be shorter with more offense on both sides, but the Aggies came up short in each. In the first game, a four run inning in the third powered UC Riverside to the win while one point in the eighth was the difference maker in the final matchup.
Men’s Tennis (16-6):
Big West Conference Championships (L against UCSB)
After an outstanding season that saw their national rank go higher than ever before, the Aggies fell in the first round of the Big West Conference Championships. UC Davis fell into an early hole in their matchup against UC Santa Barbara, losing the doubles point.
In singles, the team saw its first and sixth seeded players lose early before scoring their first and only point via sophomore Bryce McKelvie. With a rally beginning to form, the match ended after freshman Everett Maltby fell at the No. 5 spot. While the season has ended, UC Davis men’s tennis has a bright future as it has no seniors graduating in spring.
Women’s Tennis (11-12):
Big West Conference Championships (L against UCSB)
After winning six out of their last seven regular season matchups, the Aggies headed to Indian Wells for the Big West Conference Championships and lost in the first round. Facing UC Santa Barbara, who they had previously fallen to 4-3, UC Davis was unable to score a point and was swept 4-0. Only one of the matches that was eventually counted went past two sets, although all three unfinished singles matches were in the midst of their third.
UC Davis women’s tennis will only lose one senior and hope to capitalize on their hot finish to the regular season as they begin to look forward to next year.
Track and Field:
Brutus Hamilton Open
Brutus Hamilton Challenge
UC Davis travelled to the Bay Area to face off in the Brutus Hamilton Open and Brutus Hamilton Challenge on back-to-back days. In the Open, a number of men’s and women’s athletes finished strongly. Senior Veronica Smart and sophomore Breanna Standifer won their respective events, the shot put and discus, as the latter posted a personal record. Sophomore Rianna Goins added a fifth place finish in the steeplechase, posting the No. 9 best time in UC Davis history.
Freshman Brian Thomas won the 400-meter dash with the fastest time of the season, sophomore Marc Toney added a first place finish in the pole vault and senior Ben Parodi scored a personal best in the hammer throw, solidifying his No. 7 spot in UC Davis record books.
At the Brutus Hamilton Challenge, sophomore Emma Redick grabbed a personal record while finishing in first in the 400-meter hurdles. Senior Cekarri Nixon added to an impressive resume with a first in the 200-meter and the two combined for the Aggies winning 4×100 relay team.
For the men, junior Jason Chandler was great as he finished third in the 400-meter hurdles. Senior Trevor Ehlenbach finished third in the 800-meter, posting the sixth best time in UC Davis history. UC Davis has two more meets before Big West Conference Championships begin.
Women’s Water Polo (19-14):
Big West Conference Championships (W, L, L)
The Aggies came into the Big West Conference Championships with high expectations despite a No. 5 seed. The team had won three straight, including one over No. 5 UC Irvine, and seven of their last nine. In the first game of the tournament, UC Davis faced stiff competition from UC Santa Barbara and squeaked by with a 10-9 victory in large part due to four goals from senior Keelia Houston.
Unfortunately for the Aggies, they were unable to replicate their earlier success against UC Irvine and fell 8-6 in the semi-finals. Houston was held scoreless in the game and the Aggies were never able to overcome a one point first quarter deficit. With the loss, the team went on to the third place game against CSU Northridge and played another tight one. The teams switched off hot quarters in the first half and the Aggies trailed by two at halftime before losing 9-10.
UC Davis women’s water polo season is now over after faltering in the tournament. A win would have sent them to the NCAA Tournament.
Graphic by CA Aggie Graphic Design Team.
