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(April
1, 2008) - UC Riverside dropped a 7-5 decision to USC after
allowing two eighth inning runs in a non-conference match-up
at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles, CA Tuesday night. Senior
Aaron Wible finished with two hits and junior centerfielder
Carl Uhl scored three times for the Highlanders (7-15).
UCR took advantage of a first inning error by the Trojans
(12-14), as Uhl came around to score after the USC miscue
to give Riverside a 1-0 lead. The Highlanders opened up a
2-0 lead on the next play as sophomore first baseman Ryan
Goetz singled home junior second baseman Drew Garcia who had
reached on the Trojan error.
Riverside
freshman starter Eddie Orozco made it through the first two
innings, allowing just two singles before running into trouble
in the third. Orozco surrendered three USC runs on three hits
with the big blow coming on a two-out two-run homer from Mike
Roskopf to put the Trojans up 3-2. USC then added another
run an inning later, with another two-out hit to take a 4-2
lead after four innings.
A
two-out RBI single by Garcia and a USC wild pitch brought
home two Riverside runs that tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth.
The Trojans would retake the lead, 5-4 on a sacrifice fly
in the sixth. But the Highlanders battled back yet again,
as Uhl scored his third run of the game on a fielder’s
choice off the bat of Garcia to tie the game at 5-5.
After
an eighth inning one-out single chased UCR sophomore reliever
Paul Applebee, junior Rob Waite came into the game. Waite
got the first batter to fly out for the second out of the
inning but then the next two Trojans reached on an infield
single and a walk, to load the bases. Waite was able to induce
the batter into hitting a ground ball but the Goetz could
not come up with it cleanly allowing the go-ahead run to come
score. USC picked up another run a couple pitches later on
a wild pitch to take a 7-5 lead.
Trojan
reliever Robert Stock held off the Highlanders in the ninth
to preserve the 7-5 win.
Applebee (1-4) suffered the loss after the runner that reached
on the single that he allowed in the 8th, eventually came
around for the game-winner.
The
Highlanders return home to host #9 Long Beach State for a
three-game series beginning on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
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