March 28, 2009
Box Score
Stockton, Calif. - Led by a strong performance out of the bullpen from junior Jamie Niley (Elk Grove, Calif.), the Pacific baseball team downed UC Davis, 11-7, in front of a record crowd of 934 on Saturday, Mar. 28.
The victory lifted Pacific to 9-12 on the season and 2-0 in the Big West Conference, while UC Davis fell to 3-16 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
Trailing 3-0 entering the bottom of the first inning, the Tigers had no intention of letting down the largest crowd ever at Klein Family Field. The Pacific lineup went to work immediately when sophomore Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.) drew a four-pitch walk, then one out later, fellow sophomore J.B. Brown (Alvin, Texas) smoked an RBI double off the left field wall to make it 3-1. Senior Mike McKeever (San Diego, Calif.) followed with an RBI double off the top of the center field wall to bring Pacific within a run at 3-2.
Senior Kurt Wideman (Fallbrook, Calif.) singled to left to put runners at the corners, then with two out in the inning, Niley drove them both home with a double to deep center. The next batter, junior Mike Walker (Marysville, Calif.), put the exclamation point on the effort with a towering home run down the right field line, giving Pacific a 6-3 lead.
UC Davis offered back-to-back jacks in the top of the second to make it 6-5, but Pacific pushed the lead back to two in the bottom of the third behind a walk to sophomore Brian Martin (Livermore, Calif.), a single by Niley and a two-out RBI single by junior Ben Gorang (Turlock, Calif.).
Leading 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers' offense went back to work, scoring three runs on three hits and a UC Davis error. Longmire highlighted the inning with an RBI triple, with senior Joey Centanni (San Diego, Calif.) brought home Longmire on a deftly executed safety squeeze. McKeever closed the scoring with an RBI single to plate Brown, who also singled.
Pacific's final run was another long ball, this one coming in the eighth inning as Brown crushed his second home run of the season over the right-center field wall.
Niley earned the win (1-1) for Pacific as he came on in the third and three five innings of strong relief, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk.
UC Davis starter, Scott Chew (1-2), did not make it out of the first inning as he surrendered six runs on six hits and one walk in two-thirds of an inning.
Brown led the Tigers' offense with three of Pacific's 13 hits, two RBI and three runs scored.
The crowd of 934 people broke Pacific's previous record of 881 on opening day last season, Feb. 27 against Santa Clara. One of the driving forces behind the record crowd was a joint effort with the United Way of San Joaquin County.
Pacific baseball and United Way teamed to admit underprivileged children and community volunteers free of charge. This was accomplished thanks to the generosity of several Pacific baseball supporters at the Tigers' Community Night during the preseason when over 600 tickets were purchased to make this evening happen.
During the game, United Way also barbecued and members from local charities were in attendance with giveaways and educational items for kids and fans.
The Tigers and Aggies wrap up their three-game set on Sunday, Mar. 29 at 1 p.m. as the Tigers continue their Salute to the Troops Sunday contests in Klein Family Field.
