Aggies fall two out of three games to Long Beach State, but aren’t losing hope
Coming into Saturday’s game, the UC Davis softball team was 2-1 in Big West play, but even with the dominant 4-1 win, the Aggies could not keep their momentum going into Sunday’s double-header against the Long Beach State 49ers. The two Sunday losses would even out their Big West Conference record to 3-3.
Saturday’s game proved very hopeful for the Aggies, as there were no runs on the board until the fifth inning, when UC Davis was able to break the scoreless game and drive in three runs. Pitching performances from junior starter Andrea Reynolds, who received her fifth win, and freshman reliever Sara Cadona, who earned her third save, helped ensure the victory.
Even though the 49ers scored one in the top of the sixth inning, senior first baseman Kelly Zboralske stepped up in the bottom of the sixth and hit a solo home run to center field to contribute to the Aggies victory.
“I had all the confidence in the world because I knew my teammates knew I could get it done,” Zboralske said. “The moment I hit it, I knew it was gone, and it was such an amazing feeling.”
In their two Sunday games, the Aggies couldn’t gain an edge over the 49ers. Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning in the first game, Zboralske stepped up to the plate, driving in two runs, to tie the game up at 5-5. In the top of the seventh inning, the 49ers’ senior third baseman Darian Tautalafua hit a two run homer, giving the 49ers a 7-5 victory over the Aggies in the first game of the weekend. The Aggies knew, similar to last week, that the third game however, would be critical in gaining the advantage in the three game series against Long Beach.
Reynolds stepped up to the mound to start for the Aggies in game two of the double-header, and brought the 49ers scoreless through three. Tautalafua stepped up to the plate in the top of the fourth inning, and hit a solo home run to give the 49ers a 1-0 lead. After scoring another run in the top of the fifth, Long Beach led the Aggies 2-0, and when Cadona replaced Reynolds after an arguable call from the umpire on a 1-2 count, Tautalafua hit another solo homer in the top of the sixth inning, bringing her weekend home run total to four and giving the 49ers a 3-0 victory over the Aggies.
After the events that transpired over the weekend, the Aggies haven’t lost hope in the Big West conference.
“We played three good games this weekend and are excited to be where we are right now,” said head coach Erin Thorpe. “What we are concerned with is going out there and playing our best softball and improving our game, regardless of wins or losses.”
The Aggies will face Cal State Fullerton this weekend, who are 6-0 in the Big West thus far, for their first away game. Both games on Saturday will be televised on ESPN 3, at noon and 2 p.m.
Written by: Ryan Bugsch – sports@theaggie.org
