STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific softball team returns to action after a week off from competition as the Tigers host UC Davis on Tuesday, March 29, at Bill Simoni Field.
 
Last week, the Tigers took on Fresno State and held an early advantage in the second inning. After Delaney Scully and Nina Davis reached on back-to-back singles, a groundball off the bat of Kyla Eck slipped through the legs of Alana Cobb-Adams at second base, scoring both Scully and Davis to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
 
Carly Lucchetti, Rian Dirmeyer, and Emily Budelli continue to be the focal point for the Tigers offensively, accumulating batting averages over .300. Lucchetti leads the team in multiple statistical categories, including batting average, hits, and stolen bases. Dirmeyer and Budelli have been a force at the top of the lineup, recording 30 hits apiece.
 
UC Davis is coming into Tuesday's contest with a 13-16 record after dropping five of its last six games. The Aggies have also begun conference play, sitting in seventh place in the Big West standings after earning wins over Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State.
 
Anne Dethlefson leads the Aggies as she is the lone member of the team with a batting average of over .300. The sophomore from Fair Banks, Calif., has accumulated 31 hits this season while also leading the team on-base percentage (.352) and has tallied a team-high 14 stolen bases.
 
Since the 2006 season, Pacific has faced off against UC Davis 35 times, with the Tigers securing 17 victories. The Tigers held an advantage in the rivalry at the beginning of the decade, winning eight of 13 games from April 10, 2010, to April 23, 2014. The Tigers outscored the Aggies, 48-29, while scoring five or more runs in five of those contests during that span. The Aggies have been victorious as of late, winning five straight games over the Tigers, including earning two victories during the 2021 season, including a 2-1 13 innings win on March 6 at UC Davis.