UCD hurlers clean up at home

BAKERSFIELD — A win is always a nice thing. A win in your hometown, well that is extra-nice.

It was an extra, extra nice weekend for the UC Davis softball team as two former Southern California pitching phenoms returned home and led the Aggies to a two-game sweep of Cal State Bakersfield. The Aggies, who have won four of their last five games, topped the struggling Roadrunners 3-2, 2-0 in Saturday’s doubleheader.

UCD, which evened its nonconference mark at 13-13, took advantage of poor fielding by the Roadrunners. Aggie Jasmine Lee reached on an infield single and eventually scored on an error. Bakersfield (2-15) knotted the score.

The contest then turned into a classic pitcher’s duel. Neither Aggie starter Justine Vela nor ‘Runner Kelsie Monroe would give up another run in regulation — forcing the international tiebreaker.

Aggie Krista Bava started the extra frame on second and promptly scored as Megan Guzman snapped a triple down the right field line. Guzman scored the final Aggie run when Lee singled to center field. Lee was 3-for-4 in the contest.

Vela, from nearby Stockdale High School, retired the side to capture the win. En route to her team-high eighth victory, Vela gave up two hits, two walks and fanned 12 batters.

Starting in the circle for the second game for UCD was Leah Munden, another Bakersfield native who graduated from Centennial High.

While the Aggies were able to generate offense early in the first game, it took them until the fifth inning of the nightcap to push across a run.

In the fifth inning, Chandler Wagner got the ball rolling with a leadoff bunt. Cassandra Ginnis also reached and the duo advanced another 60 feet on a double steal — which was handled poorly by Bakersfield.

Wagner scored the eventual game-winning run on a throwing error.

Munden struck out four, walked none and threw just 80 pitches to collect her first complete-game shutout of the season.

Amy Nunez, who was 1-for-3, launched a homer. She has a home run in three of the Aggies’ last six games.