UC Davis took the early lead and extended it by the halftime point of the game as the Aggies defeated the Seattle University Redhawks, 10-2, Sunday afternoon in the final game of a weekend series at Bannerwood Park.
With one out in the first inning, Tino Lipson and Nick Lynch earned back-to-back doubles, with Lynch’s hit scoring Lipson. Lynch would come around to score on a two-out single to right field by Izaak Silva. With two outs in the second inning, Kevin Barker singled to center field, stole second base, and scored on a single by Lipson, increasing the Aggie lead to 3-0.
Grant Newton (Bend, Ore.) led off the bottom of the second inning with a double, Brock Carpenter (Milton, Wash.) reached base on an Aggie error, and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Michael McCann (Vancouver, Wash.). An infield single by Colin Peterson (Bellingham, Wash.) allowed Newton to score, and Carpenter would come home on a single by Griffin Andreychuk (Nanaimo, B.C.).
UC Davis (10-6-1) extended its lead in the fourth inning, starting when Mason Novak was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch, reached third on a fly ball into foul territory deep in right field, and scored on a groundout by Evan Heptig. Barker would draw a two-out walk and race around the bases to score on a double by Lipson.
The Aggies broke the game open with five runs in the fifth inning, as they loaded the bases with one out before Alex Aguiar drove in Austin March with a sacrifice fly. Heptig cleared the bases with a two-run double to left field, followed by an RBI single by Barker that drove in Heptig. Barker stole second base and came around to score on a single by Lipson.
Aggie starter Raul Jacobson gave up only six hits, two walks, and two runs, one of them earned, in seven innings of work, striking out six batters. At one point, he retired 10 Redhawk batters in a row before giving way to relievers Blake Peters and Zach Stone, who each pitched a perfect inning.
Ted Hammond (Shoreline, Wash.) took the loss for the Redhawks, allowing five hits and three runs in the first two innings of the game. Janson Junk (Federal Way, Wash.), Kyle Doyle (Covington, Wash.), Ky Dye (Everett, Wash.), and Chris Carns (Federal Way, Wash.) combined for four innings of shutout relief, allowing just three hits and two walks.
Seattle U was held to six hits in the game, with Newton, Peterson, and Andreychuk earning two hits apiece. UC Davis banged out 14 hits, led by Lipson with a 4-for-5 performance and three RBI, along with Barker, who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored.
Seattle University (5-11) heads across town Tuesday, March 10, to face the Washington Huskies at Husky Ballpark starting at 5 p.m. The Redhawks will then welcome Big Ten member Northwestern for a four-game series at Bannerwood Park, starting Thursday, March 12, at 5 p.m.