April 8, 2006
Box Score
Davis, Calif. - On a day when driving in runners was at a premium, Pacific freshman Joe Oliveira (San Diego, Calif.) left nothing to chance with a three-run triple in the top of the tenth inning to pace the Tigers past UC Davis, 5-1, on Saturday, Apr. 8.
The win moved the Tigers to 18-11 on the season, while UC Davis fell to 12-15 overall.
Pacific got on the board first in the top of the fourth inning as with one out, sophomore Brett Manning (Boulder, Colo.) was hit by a pitch. Senior John Devany (Danville, Calif.) moved Manning to second with an infield single. Senior Dale Hall (Wenatchee, Wash.) forced Devany at second on a ground ball to shortstop, allowing Manning to take third. Oliveira followed with an RBI single into left field to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
UC Davis, however, answered with a run in the bottom of the fifth as David Treat drew a two-out walk from Pacific starter, freshman Joey Centanni (San Diego, Calif.). The next two Aggie batters, delivered singles as David Huffman drove home Treat to tie the game at 1-1.
The final four innings of regulation saw both the Tigers and the Aggies miss opportunities as the Tigers left seven men on base in the final four frames, while the Aggies left eight men on.
Still tied at 1-1 in the top of the tenth, Manning once again started a Tiger rally as he singled to right field to lead off the tenth. Devany and Hall each followed with bunt singles to load the bases with no outs. With the game in the balance, Oliveira smashed a high fastball into deep right field for a three-run triple. Sophomore Adam Ching (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) added a single up the middle to plate Oliveira, as Pacific took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the tenth.
Senior Eric Stolp (Oakhurst, Calif.) closed the door on the Aggies in the tenth as he collected his third win of the season to move to 3-1. Stolp came on in relief of Centanni in the seventh inning and held UC Davis hitless in 3.2 innings.
UC Davis reliever Nik Aurora (2-3) suffered the loss as he surrendered four runs on seven hits and a walk in 2.2 innings of relief.
Oliveira, Devany and Hall led the way offensively for Pacific as the trio each finished with three hits in the game.
The two teams will conclude their three game series on Sunday, Apr. 9 as Pacific and UC Davis play the rubber game of a series that is currently knotted at one game at 1 p.m. in Dobbins Stadium.
