Feb. 24, 2012
Highlanders 9 – Flames 1
The UCR softball team snapped its seven-game losing streak this past Friday when the Highlanders took on the University of Illinois, Chicago Flames. The game was shortened to five innings thanks to a mercy rule.The Highlanders scored in every single inning of the game, going up 4-0 after the first three innings. The Flames scored their first and only run in the top of the fourth, but the Highlanders countered with a three-run inning right after.
UCR scored two more in the bottom of the fifth to go up 9-1. The game ended right after that and the Highlanders went on to win their second game of the season.
Feb. 25, 2012
Highlanders 3 – Bengals 2
UC Riverside earned its first winning streak of the season this past Saturday as the team went on to beat Idaho State at home for a 3-2 victory. UCR’s Taylor Alvarez earned the victory for the Highlanders as she went for 6.2 innings and allowed six hits and only one run.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when UCR scored two runs to take a 2-0 lead. Idaho State countered with two runs of its own in the top of the seventh to tie the game at two runs apiece.
In the bottom of the seventh, UCR’s Kaylie Atkinson homered to left field for a dramatic walk-off winner to give UCR its second win in a row, and its third of the season.
Feb. 25, 2012
Coyotes 7 – Highlanders 4
UCR took on South Dakota that same day in search of its third straight victory. South Dakota had other plans, however, as a late-game surge by the Coyotes propelled them to a 7-4 victory over the Highlanders in eight innings.
The Highlanders scored the first run in the bottom of the first inning to go up 1-0. South Dakota tied the game up at one run apiece in the top of the fourth, but the Highlanders scored two more in that same inning to lead by a score of 2-1.
Riverside went on two score two more in the following inning to lead it by a comfortable margin of 4-1. The Coyotes refused to give up as they scored two in the sixth and one final one in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4. UCR’s Jordyn McDonald could not record a save and the game went to extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, McDonald allowed three more runs as the Coyotes took a 7-4 lead over the Highlanders. UCR was unable to score in the bottom of the eighth and went on to lose the game by a score of 7-4. It was the Highlanders’ tenth loss of the season.
Feb. 26, 2012
Highlanders 12 – Coyotes 4
After allowing six unanswered runs to lose its previous game, UC Riverside’s softball team redeemed itself on Sunday by defeating the Coyotes. The Highlanders clobbered South Dakota in five quick innings to win it, 12-4.
UCR scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first just as it did in the previous game. The Highlanders were solid in this game as UCR did not allow a single run through three innings. The team went on to score five runs in the bottom of the third to take a commanding 6-0 lead.
The Coyotes’ bats finally began to heat up in the fourth as they scored four runs three hits. UCR had two costly errors in that inning as UCR’s lead was only 6-4.
UCR responded with an incredible offensive surge in the bottom of the fifth. The Highlanders scored six huge runs on five hits to take a 12-4 lead over the Coyotes. That proved to be the final score of the game as the Highlander went on to win their fourth game of the season.
Casey Suda earned the win for UCR as she pitched in three innings and allowed only four hits and two earned runs. UCR finished with 10 hits in 25 at bats.
