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(March
21, 2008) - UC Riverside used a four-run sixth inning to pick
up a 9-4 win over Harvard at the Riverside Sports Complex
Friday night. The win is the 100th career victory for Head
Coach Doug Smith who reaches the milestone in only his fourth
season as a head coach, all with UCR (5-11).
UC Riverside received great production from every spot in
their lineup as all nine Highlanders recorded hits. Sophomores
Joey Gonzales and Ryan Goetz each had two hits and drove in
two runs. The top two hitters in the UCR lineup, Gonzales
and junior Carl Uhl, combined to reach base seven times and
score five runs. The three, four, five hitters picked up five
RBI and the bottom four hitters recorded five hits for the
Highlanders.
Just as impressive was the UCR pitching staff who had three
pitchers combine to strikeout 10 Harvard (1-7) hitters and
allow only three earned runs. Freshman Matt Larkins (3-1)
picked up the win after striking out five in his three scoreless
innings of relief of junior starter Stephen Penney. Penney
went five innings, allowing only a three-run fourth and striking
out four before handing the ball to Larkins to start the sixth.
UC Riverside put up two runs in the first inning after a series
of wild pitches brought home Gonzales for the first run. Goetz
later brought home senior Aaron Wible from third with an RBI
infield single to give UCR a 2-0 lead. The Highlanders added
another run in the second using a Wible shot down the third
base line that hit the third base bag and bounced over the
third baseman and into left field, allowing Uhl to come around
easily for the 3-0 lead.
The four-run Highlander sixth began with a one-out double
from sophomore Bryan Horst and a walk to Uhl to set up first
and second for Gonzales. Gonzales then jumped on a 0-1 pitch,
lining a ball down the left field line to bring home Horst
and Uhl for the first two runs of the inning. Junior second
baseman Drew Garcia followed Gonzalez with an RBI double to
the left center gap, bringing home Gonzales and also extending
his hitting-streak to seven games. Goetz drove home the final
run of the inning with a two-out double to right center to
put UCR up 7-3.
Larkins took it from there, allowing only one Crimson hit
in his three innings of work before Waite closed it out in
the ninth.
Max Warren (0-1) took the loss for Harvard who used three
straight hits it the fourth to bring three runs across before
adding a run in the ninth.
The Highlanders travel to play Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX for
single games on Monday and Tuesday before opening Big West
Conference play at Cal State Fullerton next Friday.
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