DAVIS, Calif. (Interstat) — Ryne Palmer pitched five innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out five, and California Baptist erupted for six runs in the first inning to defeat UC Davis 6-3 on Wednesday afternoon at Dobbins Baseball Complex.

The Lancers, who improved to 41-13, sent 10 batters to the plate in the opening frame. Chris Ramire led off with a single to left field, and Connor Ross followed with a double down the left-field line that plated Ramire. After a flyout, Cole Hansen singled to right center to score Ross. Two batters later, Eric Ruiz launched a two-run home run to left field, driving in Hansen and giving California Baptist a 4-0 lead. The Lancers added two more runs later in the inning on a single by Ramire and a double by Ross, though the precise sequence was marked by an error that allowed additional runs to score, leaving the final tally from the inning at six.

UC Davis, now 26-26, answered in the fourth inning. Mault singled and McNeal reached on a fielder’s choice, advancing to third on an error by the third baseman. Ethan Felix then crushed a three-run homer to right field, bringing the Aggies within 6-3. Felix finished with two hits and three RBIs; his home run was the only extra-base hit for UC Davis.

Palmer worked through five innings, allowing no runs until the fourth. He gave up three hits total, with the home run accounting for all of UC Davis’s scoring. Zachary Yates pitched 1.1 scoreless innings in relief, striking out two, to help preserve the lead.

California Baptist outhit UC Davis 12-6. The Lancers’ offense was relentless early, collecting five hits in the first inning alone. After the fourth, the Aggies’ bullpen held California Baptist scoreless. Reliever Taylor Werth pitched a scoreless fifth, allowing one hit and striking out one, and the combination of Lerma and others kept the Lancers off the board for the final four innings. But UC Davis could not mount a further rally, stranding runners in the seventh and eighth innings. The Aggies mustered only two hits after the fourth, both by Felix.

The game was the first of a three-game series between the two teams. California Baptist had won its previous contest Monday at UC Santa Barbara 8-3, while UC Davis came in after a series win against Hawaii. The Lancers entered as the heavy favorite following a strong season, while the Aggies were looking to climb above .500.

UC Davis’s Grayson Bonanno took the loss, allowing five earned runs on eight hits over four innings, striking out two. Bonanno yielded all six runs in the first before settling down.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of California Baptist 8, UC Davis 7. Interstat’s ELO system gave California Baptist a 61.00 percent probability to win, and the Lancers were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus-1.5.