April 24, 2012
Toreros 6 – Highlanders 5
The UCR baseball team played their first of six consecutive road games against the University of San Diego Toreros last Tuesday afternoon. Riverside jumped into a 4-3 lead after four innings but the Toreros scored in the late innings to take the 6-5 victory.
Mitch Patito started the mound for the Highlanders but would only go two innings. Patito allowed two runs on two hits, four walks and achieved two strikeouts.
The Highlanders would use four singles in the third inning to score two runs. With the bases loaded Clayton Prestridge struck the ball to left field for a two-run single.
In the fourth inning Drake Zarate started a rally with a walk and was advanced by a sacrifice bunt from Steponovich. Alex Rubanowitz singled to left field which sent Zarate to third base. Zarate would then score on an error by San Diego shortstop. Eddie Young came up to the plate and singled to left field for an RBI, which would be Riverside’s last run until the ninth.
The ballgame was tied going into the bottom of the ninth and the Highlanders were unable to effectively get the Toreros out. San Diego loaded the bases and Toreros’ Louie Lechich achieved a walk which scored Bryan Harr for the game winner.
April 27, 2012
Anteaters 9 – Highlanders 2
UC Riverside faced off against the UC Irvine Anteaters Friday night but were unable to keep up with the Anteater bats. The Highlanders only scrounged up five hits to Irvine’s 13 in route to a 2-9 loss.
Dylan Stuart (4-5) started the mound for the Highlanders but struggled. Stuart went 4.2 innings while allowing six runs on nine hits, one walk and got two strikeouts.
The Highlanders started off well in the first inning as they scored two runs on two hits and one error. Eddie Young singled to shortstop and was later advanced with a SAC bunt laid down by Phil Holinsworth. Vince Gonzalez stepped up to the plate and singled to left field for an RBI single. Gonzalez later scored by an error from Irvine’s third baseman for an early 2-0 lead.
UCR would not score any more runs after the first inning and allowed four runs in the third inning and four more the rest of the game. Gonzalez was 2-4 with one RBI and one run scored. The Highlanders kept their strikeouts low at six but the five hits were not enough to make up runs.
April 28, 2012
Anteaters 2 – Highlanders 0
Riverside baseball could not get the handle on their bats as they were helpless and struggled to find holes in the Anteater defense in route to a 0-2 shutout loss against their opponent UC Irvine.
Eddie Orozco (4-5) went all eight innings as he started the mound for the Highlanders. Orozco allowed two runs on eight hits, one walk and eight strikeouts.
Orozco allowed two crucial doubles that ended up a run in the sixth and eighth innings. UCR was unable to find a hole in the Anteaters defense as they only achieved two hits the entire game. Vince Gonzalez and Bart Steponovich were the only Highlanders to get a hit on base, and both went 1-3. Steponovich was the first one to hit when he singled to center field in the third inning. Then in the ninth inning Gonzalez singled up the middle for hopes of a two out rally but was left stranded.
The Highlanders have continued their struggles in their past three game as they have attained more strikeouts than hits 24-20. In that span of three games they have only scored seven, while their opponent has scored 17 runs.
April 29, 2012
Anteaters 6 – Highlanders 5 (11)
UCR baseball (14-23, 4-8) looked to use this weekend to move up in the Big West Standings but failed to do so as they were swept by UC Irvine Sunday afternoon. The Highlanders couldn’t get a run in extra innings and have now lost four in a row, losing this one 5-6 in the 11th inning.
Trevor Frank started the mound for the Highlanders and allowed eight of the 14 hits by the Anteaters. Ben Doucette (1-2) was registered the loss with two walks and three strikeouts.
Kyle Boudreau got three of the seven hits by Riverside, going 3-5 with three RBI’s and one run scored. Riverside scored two runs in the fourth to cut the deficit to 2-4. In the seventh Riverside tied it with three runs on two this.
Holinsworth started it off with a single through the left side and Nick Vilter was hit by a pitch. Young loaded the bases for Riverside with a walk and Kyle Boudreau stepped up and knocked a three RBI double to right center.
In the past four games Riverside as only scored 12 runs on 27 hits, but struck out 35 times. They look to finish the long road trip this Tuesday and Wednesday against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in a two game series and will be back for a three game series against Big West rival CSU Northridge starting this Friday May 4.
