Cal State Bakersfield at UC Davis

DAVIS, Calif. (Interstat) — Keenan Anzai delivered a masterful complete-game one-hitter Thursday, leading the UC Davis Aggies to a 5-0 victory over the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners at Dobbins Baseball Complex.

The right-hander was dominant from start to finish, needing just 104 pitches to silence the Roadrunners’ bats. He struck out six and walked none, facing only 28 batters, one over the minimum. The lone hit he allowed was a two-out single to left field by D. Vela in the third inning. Vela stole second but was stranded there when Anzai struck out J. May looking to end the threat.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the bottom of the first inning, setting the tone for the Aggies’ control of the contest. After Roadrunners starter Ryan King retired the first two batters, he lost his command, issuing three consecutive walks to J. Wooldridge, K. Story and Elijah McNeal to load the bases. Ethan Felix then worked another walk, forcing in Wooldridge for the game’s first run. King escaped further damage but was pulled after five innings, having allowed three runs, only two earned, on no hits with six walks and two strikeouts.

UC Davis extended its lead in the fifth. Story walked, advanced to second on a groundout, and scored from third when Felix singled and the ball was misplayed by the shortstop. Felix later scored on a fielder’s choice by Ryan Lee, making it 3-0.

The Aggies added two insurance runs in the seventh against reliever Saul Bolivar. Story was hit by a pitch, McNeal singled, and Eli Burnham was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Lee lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, and Joey Wright followed with an RBI single to center, scoring McNeal for the 5-0 advantage.

Anzai, meanwhile, was untouchable. After Vela’s single, he retired the next 19 batters in order until a two-out walk in the eighth. That runner was erased on a strikeout-caught stealing double play. In the ninth, he set down the Roadrunners in order, finishing his gem with a flyout to left field.

Lee and Wright provided the key offensive support for UC Davis. Lee drove in two runs, while Wright went 2-for-4 with an RBI. The Aggies managed seven hits as a team but capitalized on eight walks and two Roadrunners errors.

For Cal State Bakersfield, relievers Roman Bracamonte and Payton Pudenz combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings, but the offense could not solve Anzai. The Roadrunners’ only other baserunner came in the first inning when T. Cloyd was hit by a pitch, but he was erased on an inning-ending double play.

With the win, UC Davis evened its season record at 14-17. Cal State Bakersfield fell to 14-19. The teams are scheduled to continue their series with a doubleheader on Friday.