April 12, 2008
Box Score - Game One | Box Score - Game Two
FULLERTON, CA - Four UC Davis players finished with multiple hits on the day and Jessica Hancock earned a pair of wins in the circle as the visiting Aggies swept a doubleheader from host Cal State Fullerton by the scores of 5-2 and 5-4 in nine innings on Saturday afternoon at Anderson Family Field.
The losses extended the Titans' losing streak to four straight games as they fell to 18-22-1 overall and 2-6 in Big West Conference play. UC Davis improved to 18-26 overall and 3-5 in league action with the wins.
The three-game series concludes with a single game on Sunday afternoon (April 13) at 12 p.m. at Anderson Family Field.
GAME 1: UC DAVIS 5, CAL STATE FULLERTON 2
Aggies starter Jessica Hancock allowed just two hits through the first six innings of work while Bianca Castillo homered and drove in three runs to lift UC Davis to the 5-2 victory in the opener.
Hancock (12-15) didn't allow a hit until Sheila Holgiun looped a single to centerfield with one out in the fourth, and only gave up one more hit over the next two innings - a single by K.C. Craddick - before the Titans struck for a pair of harmless runs in the seventh.
Hancock finished allowing just four hits on the day with three strikeouts in the complete-game victory.
Jessica Doucette (9-10), who was making her first start in the circle since the series finale against Cal Poly on March 30, allowed three earned on six hits, striking out four in the loss.
UC Davis got on the board with an unearned run in the second inning as Deanna Menapace led off with a walk and moved to second when a pick-off throw to first hit her in the helmet and sailed into foul territory in right field.
After a strikeout and a hit batter, Sarah O'Neill's single through the left side was bobbled by the fielder, allowing Menapace to score for the 1-0 lead. A strikeout and a pop up prevented any further damage.
The Aggies added another run in the fourth on an RBI groundout by Castillo and added two more in the sixth on Castillo's second home run of the season to make it 4-0. UC Davis added its final run in the seventh after loading the bases and getting a two-out RBI single by Sarah Axelson to make it 5-0.
Fullerton attempted a rally in its half of the seventh as Kiki Munoz singled to lead things off and pinch runner Sammie Dabbs moved to third on a double by Lauren Lupinetti. An RBI groundout by Craddick broke up the shutout and a sacrifice fly by Jenna Wheeler closed the gap to 5-2.
However, Hancock worked away from any further damage, inducing a game-ending lineout for the victory.
Trish Paine finished 3-for-4 to lead all players while Axelson (2-for-2) and O'Neill (2-for-4) also finished with multiple hits.
GAME 2: UC DAVIS 5, CAL STATE FULLERTON 4 (9 innings)
UC Davis' Deanna Menapace was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the ninth inning to snap a 4-4 tie and the Aggies survived a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning by the Titans en route to the 5-4 extra-inning victory over Cal State Fullerton in the nightcap.
Katie Gollhardt and Lauren Lupinetti each finished with three hits on the day and combined to drive in three of the team's four runs.
Trish Paine reached on a one-out infield single to get the Aggies' rally started and was followed by Michelle Espiritu's infield hit and a walk to Julie Stauder to load the bases.
That brought Menapace to the plate, who was promptly hit by the first pitch from Fullerton starter Christine Hiner (9-11), driving home Paine with the winning run. Hiner then buckled down to keep UC Davis off the scoreboard, getting a pair of ground balls to end the inning.
Things started well for the Titans in their half of the ninth as Sammie Dabbs led off with an infield hit, but was erased by the Aggies' defense, which turned two on Lupinetti's sacrifice attempt, getting the runner at first and catching Dabbs trying to move all the way to third on the bunt.
Fullerton wasn't done, however, as Sheila Holguin reached on an error and moved to second when Kiki Munoz was walked intentionally for the third time on the game. However, Jessica Hancock (13-15) sealed the win by getting a ground ball back to the circle to end the game.
Fullerton's offense, which outhit UC Davis by an 8-7 count, answered each of the Aggies' runs early after the visitors jumped out ahead in the first inning. Davis' Michelle Espiritu walked with one out, stole second, and moved to third on Julie Satuder's infield single.
Espiritu then came home during the very next at-bat after Stauder got caught in a rundown trying to swipe second base, giving Espiritu enough time to scamper home for the 1-0 lead.
The Titans rallied back with a run in the third as Dabbs walked with one out and scored on Lupinetti's double to right field to tie the game.
Sarah O'Neill then got things started for the Aggies in the fifth, slugging a triple to centerfield and coming around to score three batters later on an groundout by Trish Paine that would have ended the inning following a groundout and an error, making it 2-1.
Cal State Fullerton answered right back in its half of the inning as Gollhardt doubled with one out and moved to third on a groundout. That brought Lupinetti back to the plate, who poked a single to left field to score Gollhardt and tie the game at 2-2.
The Aggies tried to put the Titans away once again in the sixth with a pair of runs on RBI hits by Bianca Castillo and Lindsey Jones, but Fullerton would not shy away, plating a pair of their own in their half of the inning as pinch runner Vina Rodriguez scored on a double-steal and Gollhardt added an RBI single later in the frame to forge a tie game and set the stage for extra innings.
Hancock allowed one earned (two overall) on four hits while striking out three in four innings of relief of starter Alex Holmes, who was saddled with the no-decision after allowing two earned on four hits in five innings.
Hiner (9-11) suffered the loss for the Titans, allowing four earned on seven hits, walking eight and striking out two in the complete-game effort.