Bri Chew/HIGHLANDER
Bri Chew/HIGHLANDER

May 2, 2015

Highlanders 6 — Gauchos 2

Gauchos 4 — Highlanders 2

Fresh off a sweep against the UC Davis Aggies, the UCR softball team split a doubleheader Saturday afternoon against the UCSB Gauchos.

In the day’s first action, the Highlanders quickly jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The first score of the day came off a Rebecca Faulkner fly out to right field that led to Jenna Curtan reaching home from third base. An error by UCSB’s second baseman led to two more scores for the Highlanders.

In the top of the fifth, UCR scored another three runs off a Kris DeAnda double to right-center and a Taylor Wright double to center field. The Gauchos were able to muster up two runs in the bottom of the fifth and seventh, respectively, but the six Highlander runs turned out to be too much to overcome.

Just as they did in the first game, the Highlanders jumped out to an early lead in the second, with Rebecca Faulkner scoring the first run of the game in the top of the second inning. After three scoreless innings, the Highlanders scored again in the top of the sixth, increasing their lead to 2-0 with an inning and a half to go.

Given the pace of the game and the extremely low amount of scoring that took place, it would not be too farfetched to believe that UCR was headed for their fifth straight victory. However, in the blink of an eye, two home runs by MeShalon Moore and Shelby Wisdom gave the Gauchos four straight runs and overtook the Highlanders for a 4-2 lead. The Highlanders were unable to score at all in the top of the seventh, which marked the end of the game as well as the end of their four-game winning streak.

May 3, 2015

Gauchos 3 — Highlanders 2

The Gauchos earned a walk-off victory against the Highlanders Sunday afternoon as they squared off against the UCR squad for the final outing of the weekend’s three-game series.

Karina Romero’s single to right field in the top of the first subsequently led to a fielding error by UCSB’s right fielder, scoring both Madeline Richard and Jenna Curtan, giving the Highlanders an early 2-0 lead. After a scoreless second inning, the Gauchos scored two runs of their own in similar fashion — an Arianna Palmores single led to a fielding error by UCR’s left fielder, scoring both Jacqueline Hinojosa and Kristen Clark.

In the bottom of the seventh, Palmores’ single up the middle led to another RBI when Clark scored the walk-off run that allowed the Gauchos to score victory.

With Sunday’s loss, the Highlanders fall to 8-10 in conference and 36-17 overall. Next up for the Highlanders is their final series of the regular season at home against the Cal Poly Mustangs, set to begin on Friday, May 8.