Jonathan Godoy/HIGHLANDER


April 5, 2012
Highlanders 3 – Dirtbags 2 (10inn)


The Riverside baseball team squared off against the Long Beach State Dirtbags for their first match of the three game series. Riverside in their last 10 games are 4-6 and needed a win Thursday, and they got just that in route to a 3-2 victory in extra innings.Dylan Stuart started the mound for the Highlanders, going eight innings with three strikeouts and allowed two runs on nine hits. Joie Dunyon (1-2), who came in to pitch in the extra inning, was credited with the win while striking one batter out.

Riverside did heavy damage recording four hits in the first inning as they jumped to a 2-1 lead. Devon Bolasky and Phil Holinsworth both singled and stole their next base. Vince Gonzalez singled to left for an RBI, scoring Bolasky. David Andriese got the last hit with a single to right field that loaded the bases. Clayton Prestridge walked and that scored Riverside’s second and final run of the inning.

The Dirtbags tied the game in the third inning but were held to zero runs for the rest of the game. In the 10th inning Riverside only got one hit—a game winning run. AJ Beckly walked and was moved by a SAC bunt from Holinsworth to second base. After Young was intentionally walked, Gonzalez came up to the plate and doubled to right field, bringing Beckly to the home plate for the win. Gonzales finished the game 3-5 with two RBI’s.

April 6, 2012
Dirtbags 5 – Highlanders 4

The UC Riverside baseball team faced off against Long Beach State for their second game of the three game series. The Highlanders came up short en route to a 4-5 loss.

Eddie Orozco started the mound for Riverside before being pulled after five innings. Orozco allowed nine hits, five runs and got five batters to strike out. Mark Garcia came in to relieve Orozco and allowed three hits and one walk while he got three batters to strike out.

The Highlanders as a team only got six hits total and not one player got more than one hit. Nick Vilter who was the DH had his night while he went 1-2 with one RBI and one run scored. UCR had a comeback in the eighth with a leadoff double but the Highlanders could not execute and only scored one run.

In response to the loss and how to bounce back, Coach Doug Smith said, “Well it is a tough loss; it is a game that I thought we should have won. We didn’t get the big base hit we needed. We’ll try to regroup tonight and come back to play well tomorrow and win the series. That is always the goal—to win the series.”

April 7, 2012
Dirtbags 8 – Highlanders 2

The UC Riverside baseball (9-15, 2-4) team finished the three game series Saturday afternoon against the Long Beach State Dirtbags in which the Highlanders were scoreless until the seventh inning. Riverside was unable of a 0-6 comeback in route to a 2-8 loss.
The Dirtbags got first blood in the first inning and later did damage in the fifth inning, scoring three runs. Trevor Frank started the mound for Riverside and only went five innings before being pulled. Frank allowed eight hits; five runs scored and walked one but got three strikeouts to go with it.
The Highlanders finally scored in the seventh inning when they sponged up two runs. Cody Hough started it off with a walk and AJ Beckley followed it up with a single to left field. Both were advanced by a wild pitch. Jake Gallaway grounded out as he scored Hough. Alex Rubanowitz hit a SAC fly to allow Beckley to score his team’s final run.
That would be all the scoring for Riverside as they were unable to score in the final two innings. Vince Gonzalez and AJ Beckley both went 2-4 and the only two runs were Hough’s and Beckley’s.
The Highlanders are now 4-6 in their last 10 games but could use the stretch of nine home games to make up some ground. Their next match is against Pepperdine Tuesday, April 10 at 6pm.