Aggies sports action from April 27 to May 3
Baseball (26-19-1):
UC Davis @ Santa Clara University (W, 9-7)
UC Davis @ No. 15 UC Santa Barbara (L, L, L)
Following three straight victories over University of Pacific, the Aggies headed to the Bay Area to face off against Santa Clara University. The game jumped to a hot start, with the Broncos scoring six in the first three innings. UC Davis struggled until the seventh inning when junior Cameron Olson hit a grand slam, part of a six-run inning, to lift the Aggies to a 9-7 victory.
With a four-game winning streak propelling them, the Aggies were headed to play No. 15 UC Santa Barbara for three straight games. The first game was a low-scoring affair and UC Davis was simply unable to find its offense, scoring only two points. After bringing in two runs in the fifth, the Gauchos were able to add the difference-making run. In the second game of the series, a three-run sixth inning by UCSB sunk the Aggies, who could only muster three hits and two runs on the day.
On the final day of play, the two teams were unable to find home plate and the contest went until the 13th inning. UCSB had 14 hits on the day, finally taking the victory after a lengthy day. The Aggies will play one more game on the road before returning to face CSU Northridge on Friday.
Men’s Golf:
Big West Conference Championships (2nd place finish)
After an up-and-down three-day tournament, UC Davis finished in second place in the Big West Conference Championships behind winner UC Irvine. The first day of play was solid for the Aggies, finishing behind only UC Riverside with senior Mike Brockington finishing No. 2, individually scoring a 2-under 68. Junior Patrick Solil shot a 72 to take fifth while two more UC Davis players were tied for No. 18.
Brockington struggled mightily on the second day, shooting a 75, while junior Luke Vivolo roared up the leaderboards to tie the senior for third place. At the end of play, all five Aggies stood within the top-20 and briefly captured first place as a team. UC Irvine and UC Riverside each stood two strokes back, with no other competitor within 12 strokes.
With the Big West Conference Championships on the line, UC Davis fell just short as they were edged out by one stroke. Senior Matt Seramin was the highest finisher of the Aggies, riding two consecutive 70s to third place. Brockington added a No. 5 finish while Vivolo fell to 15th. Since they were defeated early, UC Davis did not receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals. Still, the team was selected with an at-large bid and will be the No. 10 seed in Bremerton, Wash. on May 14.
Softball (18-28):
UC Davis vs. Cal State Fullerton (W, L, L)
After a seven-game road trip, the Aggies returned home eager to find a win against CSU Northridge. The first game provided just that after a home run, by junior Kelly Zboralske in the third inning, gave the team a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Junior pitcher Leah Mundin secured the win after not allowing a single hit in the final four innings.
The second game of the Saturday doubleheader saw the Aggies fail to find any offense, recording only two hits in the loss. CSU Fullerton finished with seven hits leading to three runs to make up the 3-1 final margin. The sole UC Davis run came in the third inning after a triple by sophomore Lauryn Saunders.
The final game of the series was senior night for the Aggies, as the team celebrated its three seniors at the last home game of the year. UC Davis put itself in a good position for a feel-good win, by leading 6-3 before the final inning. After an error filled seventh, however, UC Davis found itself down 7-6 and was unable to come back. The Aggies will head to Hawai’i for their final three games of the season.
Men’s Track & Field:
Causeway Duel (L)
Stanford Payton Invitational (No team scores)
Despite winning six individual events, including five on the track, the Aggies fell to the visiting team, Sacramento State. Sophomore Matt Moreno grabbed a personal best in the 400-meter during his victory, while junior Jason Chandler added a win and personal record in the 400-meter hurdles. Senior Ben Parodi was the lone field participant to win an event, finishing first in the hammer throw.
At the Stanford Payton Invitational, several Aggies finished in the top 10 of their respective events. Parodi nabbed third place in the shot put and seventh in the hammer throw, while junior Matthew Bender was fourth in the discus and eighth in the hammer. With the regular season complete, UC Davis will head to Riverside for the Big West Conference Multi Championships on May 8 before the Big West Conference Championships begin on May 15.
Women’s Track & Field:
Causeway Duel (W, 99.5 – 92.5)
Stanford Payton Invitational (No team scores)
Hosting the Causeway Duel, the UC Davis women’s track & field team dominated visiting Sacramento State. Two seniors, Raquel Lambdin and Ashley Marshall, made their names known once again as each won two events. Lambdin finished first in the 1,500 and 800-meter while Marshall topped the leaderboard in the 100 and 200-meter. Freshman Morgan Bertsch and senior Katie Barber nabbed first and second respectively in high jump.
At Stanford, Lambdin added another title to her name after winning her section of the 800-meter. Senior Veronica Smart finished No. 1 in the shot put, while also grabbing fourth in the hammer throw. The quick stop in Palo Alto is the last time that the Aggies will compete before the Big West Conference Championships that begin on Friday.
Graphic by CA Aggie Graphic Design Team.
