2005-06
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(April
1, 2006) - Errors proved to be costly as UC Riverside lost
7-5 to UC Davis in a see-saw 10-inning battle Saturday afternoon
at the Riverside Sports Complex. The loss snaps the Highlanders'
four-game winning streak and drops them to 15-10 while the
Aggies improve to 11-13.
No
lead was safe on Saturday, as the teams traded runs from start
to finish. With one out in the tenth, David Treat and Michael
Jacobellis hit back-to-back singles for UC Davis. UCR sophomore
LHP Dan Runzler then walked Brandon Oliver to load the bases
but came back to strike out David Huffman for the second out.
After getting two quick strikes on Daniel Descalso, Runzler
got what should have been the third out on a grounder to short
but sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza booted it into centerfield
for the fourth Highlander error of the day, allowing two runs
to score.
UCR
remains winless in extra-inning contests, falling to 0-3.
The Aggies win their second extra-inning game of the year
to improve to 2-0.
Runzler
took the loss to fall to 2-2, allowing two runs, both unearned,
on two hits in 2 2/3 innings. Nick Aurora threw a perfect
final four outs for the Aggies to improve to 2-2.
After
trailing the entire nine innings on Friday night, UC Davis
jumped on top early, scoring twice in the top of the first.
With one out, Ryan Royster reached on an error by UCR sophomore
2B Drew Garcia. Royster then went to third on a single by
Descalso and came home when UCR senior starter Haley Winter
balked attempting to catch the Aggies in a double steal. Lukas
Kirby followed with a single and Descalso made it 2-0 when
he scored on an RBI groundout by Hanke.
UCR
pulled a run back in the second to make it 2-1. Junior DH
Nick Salotti doubled to right-center field and went to third
on a single by junior 1B Kyle Barratt. Salotti and Barratt
then executed a delayed first-third steal, with Salotti scoring
before Barratt was tagged out in a rundown.
The
Highlanders scored twice in the fourth to go ahead 3-2. Junior
CF Brett Bigler was hit by a pitch to open the inning and
senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer walked. After a sacrifice bunt,
Salotti walked to load the bases and senior C Jeff Abney laced
a shot through the left side to plate Bigler and Steinmeyer.
The
Aggies regained the lead in the sixth as Hanke and Michael
Hernandez hit back-to-back singles to open the inning. Two
batters later, they came home on Treat's single to right.
The
score swung back into UCR's favor in the bottom of the sixth
as the Highlanders put two on the board to retake the lead,
5-4. Senior RF Aaron Grant walked to open the inning, marking
the end of the day for UCD starter Evan Nichols. On came Vince
DeCoito to face Salotti, who worked the count to 2-2 before
sending a high drive to leftfield. Hanke went back to the
wall but the ball caromed off his glove as he hit the fence.
Grant raced home and Salotti ended up on second with an RBI
double. Salotti was then sacrificed to third, coming home
on Garcia's inside-out single to left.
Winter
left after six innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on
10 hits. Sophomore RHP Adam Reifer came on in relief and gave
up a lead-off double to Descalso. After getting two quick
outs, Reifer was unable to hold the lead as Hernandez bounced
a ball back up through the middle, bringing home Descalso
to tie the game at five.
UCR
put a runner on third with two outs in the ninth but Steinmeyer
flew out to left to strand Bigler. Salotti, Abney, and Garcia
each went 2-for-4 for UCR.
Treat
was 4-for-5 with two RBI for UC Davis.
(April
2, 2006) - UC Riverside scored three runs in the seventh to
rally for a 5-3 victory over UC Davis Sunday afternoon at
the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders win the series
and close out their home stand with a 7-2 record to improve
to 16-10 while the Aggies fall to 11-14.
Trailing
3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, sophomore DH Aaron Wible
tied the game at three with his second home run of the season.
With two outs, sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza singled to right
and junior LF D.J. Hollingsworth followed with a double off
the wall to give the lead back to UCR. After a walk to junior
CF Brett Bigler, senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer singled to left,
bringing home Hollingsworth with the go-ahead run. On the
play, Steinmeyer tried to take second but was hung up as UCD
catcher David Treat ran out to cut him off. Bigler broke for
home and Treat wheeled around, throwing to pitcher Phil Rasmussen
at the plate to tag out Bigler and end the inning. UCR Head
Coach Doug Smith was ejected for arguing the call.
Junior
RHP Taylor Bills (3-1) had his longest outing of the season,
throwing eight innings. He gave up three unearned runs on
six hits and struck out four. Junior RHP Daniel Stange picked
up his eighth save of the season in relief, leaving him one
shy of UCR’s Division I record.
UCR
took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Hollingsworth
singled, then stole second and third and came home on Steinmeyer’s
groundout to third. UC Davis looked to rally in the fourth,
putting runners on first and second with two out but Hollingsworth
made a diving catch in left to rob Kevin James of a hit and
the Aggies of possible runs.
The
Highlanders took advantage to add their lead in the fourth
when Steinmeyer led off with a double, then scored on sophomore
C Jeff Dunbar’s single to left.
The
errors that had plagued UCR all weekend reappeared in the
sixth inning Sunday. Bills allowed a lead-off single to Ryan
Royster, then walked Daniel Descalso. The next hitter, Lukas
Kirby, singled to right and Royster held up at third. But
senior RF Aaron Grant misplayed the ball, allowing the runners
to move up and Royster to score to make it 2-1. On the very
next pitch, Aaron Hanke sent a grounder to third that went
through Steinmeyer’s legs, bringing home Descalso and
Kirby to put UCD ahead 3-2.
The
Aggies put runners on second and third with one out in the
seventh but Bills got Royster to groundout and Descalso to
pop up to end the inning.
Hollingsworth
finished the game 3-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Steinmeyer was 2-for-4 with two RBI and Dunbar and Pedroza
also collected two hits for UCR.
Bryan
Evans (3-4) took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits
in 6 2/3 innings. Treat was 2-for-4 for the Aggies.
(April
4, 2006) - UNLV scored seven runs in the eighth inning to
defeat UC Riverside 14-8 Tuesday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium
in Las Vegas, NV. The Highlanders fall to 16-11 while the
Rebels improve to 15-17.
UCR held three separate
leads in the game, including a 5-0 advantage early. Each time,
the Rebels came back, including the final time in the eighth,
when they trailed 8-7. With UCR sophomore LHP Dan Runzler
on the mound, C.J. Lang singled to open the eighth and went
to third on an error by UCR junior 2B Kyle Barratt. Runzler
then walked Chris Bonnell and Chad Miller to force in the
tying run. Junior RHP Daniel Stange came on with the bases
loaded and nobody out. Ryan Bird singled in Keith Smith to
give UNLV the lead and Braden Walker doubled home two runs
to extend the advantage to 11-8. After a walk reloaded the
bases, Ryan Kowalski hit a sacrifice fly for the inning's
first out. Freshman RHP Matt Montgomery replaced Stange and
promptly gave up a bunt single to Lang, who was batting for
the second time in the inning. After striking out Smith, Montgomery
threw a wild pitch that allowed the seventh run of the inning
to score.
Runzler (2-3) was tagged
with the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits
and two walks in 2/3 of an inning. The Highlanders used six
pitchers on the night.
UNLV had no shortage of
pitchers in the game, either, sending seven to the mound.
Chris Saddoris (5-4) gained the win with 2/3 of an inning
of one-hit relief.
The
Highlanders scored three runs in the second and two in the
third to take a 5-0 lead. Barratt doubled with one out in
the second and came home two batters later on senior RF Andy
Clay's single. After a pop up, sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza
singled home senior C Jeff Abney. Clay then made it 3-0, scoring
on an error by UNLV catcher Braden Walker.
UCR scored twice in the
third with two outs. Junior CF Brett Bigler singled to open
the inning, knocking UNLV starter Blake Gailen from the game.
With two outs, Bigler stole second, then scored on Barratt's
single to center. Barratt in turn scored on Abney's double.
The UCR lead would not last
long as UNLV scored five runs in the bottom of the third,
all with two outs. Mike Cruz started the rally with a double
and Smith followed two batters later with a double of his
own. After a single by Bonnell, Miller hit a three-run homer
to make it 5-4. Ryan Bird then doubled and scored on Walker's
single that made it 5-5.
UCR regained its lead the
following inning on an RBI single by junior LF D.J. Hollingsworth.
In the fifth, the Highlanders loaded the bases and scored
on four consecutive walks.
The lead would not last
long, however, as the Rebels stormed back with a run in each
of the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, Lang doubled,
then advanced to third and scored on consecutive sacrifice
flies. UNLV then tied the game at 7-7 in the seventh as Walker
tripled and scored on Ryan Kowalski's squeeze bunt.
For the third time on the
night, UCR regained the lead in the eighth. Clay opened the
inning with a walk and was sacrificed to second. Clay was
then replaced by freshman pinch-runner Carl Uhl, who came
home on sophomore pinch-hitter Aaron Wible's double.
Despite holding the lead
for the third time, the Highlanders could not maintain it.
Bigler and Barratt each
had two hits for UCR. Six different Highlanders drove in one
run each.
Miller finished 3-for-4
with four RBI for UNLV while Walker had three hits and drove
in three. Lang also collected three hits.
(April
7, 2006) - UC Santa Barbara scored six runs in the sixth inning
to defeat UC Riverside 8-6 Friday afternoon in the Big West
Conference opener for both teams. The Highlanders fall to
16-12, 0-1 while the Gauchos win their fifth straight to improve
to 14-13, 1-0.
For the second game in a
row, the Highlanders took an early lead but were unable to
hold it. UCR scored twice in both the first and second innings,
to go ahead 4-1. Junior LF D.J. Hollingsworth walked to open
the game, then stole second and came home on junior CF Brett
Bigler's triple. Two batters later, Bigler scored on senior
RFAaron Grant's single to left.
UCSB struck back with a
run in the bottom of the first as Alden Carrithers walked
and later scored on a single by Robbie Blauer.
UCR scored twice more in
the second to go ahead 4-1. Junior 1B Kyle Barratt led off
with a single and went to second on sophomore 3B Aaron Wible's
walk. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners over, Hollingsworth
drove in Barratt with a sacrifice fly. Wible then scored on
an infield error.
UCSB again pulled a run
back in the fourth when Blauer doubled and scored on an infield
single by Matt Clark. The next inning was when the most damage
was done, however, as the Gauchos scored six runs with two
outs to knock out UCR sophomore starter James Simmons (6-2).
After Simmons retired the first two batters, Blauer singled
and Matt Emerick followed with a double, moving Blauer to
third. Chris McMurray then hit a two-run single to tie the
game and Clark followed with a two-run home run to make it
6-4. Mario Lewis singled to restart the Gaucho rally and Brian
Lee knocked him in with a triple. Carrithers, the ninth batter
of the inning, then singled home Lee with the sixth run of
the inning. That marked the end of Simmons' day as he was
replaced by junior LHP Pat Cassa.
Sophomore C Jeff Dunbar's
RBI single in the seventh brought the score back to 8-5 as
he knocked in Bigler, who had led off the the inning with
his second triple of the game.
UCR looked to rally in the
ninth as Hollingsworth was hit by a pitch and went to third
on Bigler's double. A sacrifice fly by senior INF Brian Steinmeyer
brought home Hollingsworth and the Highlanders brought the
winning run to the plate after Dunbar was hit by a pitch.
But Grant grounded into a double play to end the game.
Simmons had his shortest
outing of the season, lasting 4 2/3 innings. He gave up all
eight runs on 14 hits while striking out five.
Andy Graham (3-3) threw
eight innings to gain the win. He allowed six runs (five earned)
on six hits and struck out five. Justin Segal picked up the
save.
Bigler was 4-for-5 with
an RBI for his second four-hit game of the season.
(April
8, 2006) - UC Riverside bounced back from a two-game losing
streak, banging out 16 hits in a 13-4 victory over UC Santa
Barbara in a Big West Conference game Saturday afternoon at
Caesar Uyesaka Stadium in Santa Barbara. The Highlanders improve
to 17-12, 1-1 while the Gauchos see their five-game winning
streak snapped to fall to 14-14, 1-1.
After being victimized by
big innings from their opponents in back-to-back games, it
was the Highlanders' turn to post a large inning, scoring
seven times in the fourth to blow open a 3-3 game. Senior
LF Andy Clay opened the inning with a single and moved to
third on senior RF Aaron Grant's one-out single. Clay came
home when UCSB starting pitcher Brian Tracy misplaced junior
CF Brett Bigler's bunt. Back-to-back walks then loaded the
bases and brought home Grant. That marked the end of the day
for Tracy, who was replaced by Anthony Martin. But the walk
streak reached three as Martin walked junior 1B Kyle Barratt
to force in the Highlanders' third run of the inning. Sophomore
3B Aaron Wible followed with a bases-clearing double to blow
the game open. Senior C Jeff Abney followed with a double
of his own to make it 10-3 in UCR's favor.
UCR added runs in the fifth,
sixth, and eighth to keep the game out of reach and make a
winner of senior RHP Haley Winter (3-2). Winter threw seven
innings of six-hit ball. He allowed three runs and walked
three while striking out a season-high eight.
Hitting in the leadoff position
for the first time this season, Grant finished the game 4-for-6
with a walk and five runs scored. Barratt drove in a game-high
four runs while Wible added three RBI.
Tracy (1-5) was tagged with
the loss, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on five hits
and four walks in 3 1/3 innings.
UCR's 13 runs and 16 hits
tied its season-highs for both categories.
(April
9, 2006) - Junior RHP Taylor Bills threw the first complete
game by a UC Riverside pitcher this season as UCR took the
game and the series at UC Santa Barbara with an 8-1 victory
over UC Santa Barbara Sunday afternoon at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium
in Santa Barbara. The Highlanders won the last two games to
move to 18-12, 2-1 while the Gauchos fall to 14-15, 1-2.
Already staked to a 1-0
lead when he took the mound in the bottom of the first, Bills
gave up a run but then settled down to shut out the Gauchos
the rest of the way. Bills went all nine innings, surrendering
the lone run in the first and giving up four hits and two
walks while punching out five Gauchos to improve to 4-1.
UCR extended its lead to
3-1 in the second as junior DH Nick Salotti slammed a two-run
home run over the wall in centerfield. The Highlanders tallied
one run in both the fifth and sixth innings, with senior SS
Brian Steinmeyer contributing the run in the fifth with a
solo home run and senior RF Aaron Grant hitting a run-scoring
single in the sixth.
The Highlanders tacked
on three more runs in the seventh for good measure. Junior
1B Kyle Barratt led things off with a walk before moving to
second after sophomore 3B Aaron Wible was hit by a pitch.
Salotti then connected for his second double of the game to
plate two UCR runs. After a wild pitch moved Salotti to third,
he scored on a groundout by senior LF Andy Clay to complete
the scoring.
Salotti had an outstanding
day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, his first
home run of the season, three runs scored and four RBI. Sophomore
C Jeff Dunbar was 2-for-5 with an RBI while Grant, Steinmeyer,
and Clay also drove in a run apiece.
UCR tagged all three Gaucho
pitchers for at least one run. Starter Jeff Braun (1-1) lasted
five innings, surrendering four runs on seven hits and five
walks while striking out three. Clayton Edwards gave up three
runs on two hits and three walks in the sixth while Bryan
Fleming allowed one run over the final three innings.
For the third consecutive
game, UC Riverside posted a run in the first inning. After
a walk and a groundout put a runner at second base, Dunbar
singled to left field to plate the first Highlander run of
the game.
(April
11, 2006) - #20 USC scored 12 unanswered runs to defeat UC
Riverside 17-9 Tuesday night at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles.
The Highlanders see their two-game losing streak end to fall
to 18-13 while the Trojans win their fourth in a row and improve
to 21-14.
For the second time this
season against USC, the Highlanders fell behind by double-digit
runs before mounting a rally. UCR trailed 12-1 in the fourth
inning, then scored once in the fifth, twice in the six, and
five runs in the seventh to get back to 12-9. That would be
as close as they would get as the Trojans exploded for five
runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh, their second
five-run inning of the game, to put the Highlanders away.
UCR took a 1-0 lead in the
top of the first before USC replied with two runs in the bottom
of the inning. The Trojans tacked on one run in the second,
five in the third, and four in the fourth to take the 12-1
lead.
Sophomore RHP James Simmons
was roughed up in the start on three days' rest, suffering
his second consecutive loss and failing to get out of the
third inning. Simmons (6-3) allowed four runs (three earned)
on five hits and walked one. None of the Highlanders' next
three pitchers were effective against the Trojan offense,
either. Junior LHP Pat Cassa lasted 1 1/3 innings, giving
up six runs on five hits. Sophomore RHP Adam Reifer was tagged
for two runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings, while sophomore
LHP Dan Runzler allowed five runs (four earned) on two hits
and three walks in his 1 2/3 innings. Junior RHP Daniel Stange
was the only UCR pitcher not to allow a run, although he gave
up three hits in 1 1/3 innings.
David Parrow (2-0) picked
up the win, allowing one run on two hits in two innings of
work. Five other Trojan pitchers combined on the victory.
All but one of UCR's starters
had at least one hit, including five who had two each. Junior
CF Brett Bigler continued his hot streak at the plate, going
2-for-3 with two RBI for his team-leading 13th multi-hit game
of the year. Sophomore 3B Aaron Wible added three RBI in a
1-for-3 effort.
Baron Frost was 4-for-5
with two RBI for the Trojans while Cyle Hankerd went 3-for-5
with three RBI and a home run. Blake Sharpe also had three
hits.
After committing one error
in the last four games and none in its last three, UCR committed
three on the night, leading to two unearned USC runs. The
game was reminiscent of last year's meeting at USC, when the
Highlanders led 8-2 before allowing 19 unanswered runs in
a 21-8 loss.
UCR falls to 0-4 this season
against ranked opponents.
(April
18, 2006) - UC Riverside showed no ill effects of a week's
layoff, pounding out a season-high 18 hits en route to an
11-1 victory at #19 University of San Diego Tuesday afternoon
at Cunningham Stadium. The Highlanders improve to 19-13 on
the season while dropping the Toreros to 24-15.
After
taking a 1-0 lead in the second, the Highlanders pushed across
five runs in the fourth thanks to five singles and two walks.
Sophomore C Jeff Dunbar led off with a walk against Scott
DeNault, then was sacrificed to second. Junior DH Nick Salotti
followed with his second run-scoring single of the day to
make it 2-0 and junior 1B Kyle Barratt singled, bringing an
end to DeNault's day. Nicholas Cranmer relieved and promptly
allowed a single to sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza that brought
home Salotti. Senior RF Aaron Grant walked to load the bases
and junior CF Brett Bigler hit a two-run single to right,
advancing to second on the throw. Senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer
brought home Grant with the inning's fifth single to make
it 6-0.
Logan Gelbrich hit a solo home run to lead off the fifth to
bring USD back to 6-1 but six consecutive singles in the sixth
tacked four runs on the board for UCR to make it 10-1. Pedroza's
RBI triple in the ninth completed the scoring.
Every
Highlander starter had at least one hit, including three each
by Steinmeyer and Dunbar, who were both 3-for-4. Steinmeyer
also had two RBI, as did Salotti, Bigler, and Pedroza.
Junior
LHP Marc Rzepczynski (1-1) picked up the win for the Highlanders,
allowing one run on four hits in 5.1 innings of work. Four
UCR relievers combined to allow just one hit the rest of the
afternoon.
Ricardo
Pecina (4-2) was saddled with the loss for the Toreros, giving
up one run on three hits in three innings of work. Gelbrich
led the way offensively for the Toreros, going 2-for-4 with
one home run and one RBI.
With
the win, UCR completes its six game road trip with an even
3-3 record and improves to 1-4 this year against ranked opponents.
(April
21, 2006) - Sophomore RHP James Simmons struck out nine over
eight innings and junior LF D.J. Hollingsworth went 4-for-4
with four RBI as UC Riverside won the opening game of a three-game
series, 9-3 over Cal Poly Friday night at the Riverside Sports
Complex. The Highlanders won their third straight Big West
Conference game to improve to 20-13, 3-1, while dropping the
Mustangs to 21-18, 5-5.
Cal
Poly took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to three
base hits and a throwing error by Simmons. UCR struck right
back in the bottom of the first, however, with three runs
of its own, all with two outs. With one out, junior CF Brett
Bigler walked. After a fly out, sophomore INF Aaron Wible
walked. Sophomore C Jeff Dunbar then hit a smash down to third
that was misplayed by Josh Lansford, allowing Bigler to score.
Hollingsworth then singled home Wible and Dunbar to make it
3-1.
The
Highlanders scored twice more in the third, again with two
outs. Senior RF Aaron Grant was hit by a pitch to lead off
and went to second when Poly pitcher Bud Norris' throw to
second base was offline on a sacrifice by Bigler. After a
failed bunt by senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer resulted in a force
out of Grant at third, Bigler raced around to score from second
when the Mustangs were slow to get the ball to the infield
on Wible's fly out to center. A single by Dunbar then brought
Steinmeyer home to increase UCR's advantage to 5-1.
Cal
Poly pulled a run back in the fourth on an RBI double by Matt
Canepa but UCR pushed three more across in the bottom of the
frame to make it 8-2. Sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza was hit by
a pitch and was sacrificed to second. Bigler then doubled
him home and after an infield single and another hit batter,
Hollingsworth hit a two-run single down the leftfield line.
Lansford hit a solo home run to lead off the sixth for the
Mustangs but that would be the last of their scoring. The
Highlanders added one more run in the seventh on a sacrifice
fly by Bigler.
Simmons
(7-3) tied his longest outing of the season, throwing 119
pitches in eight innings. He allowed three runs (two earned)
on six hits while striking out nine and walking none. Junior
LHP Pat Cassa pitched a perfect ninth.
Norris
(7-4) took the loss, throwing seven innings and allowing nine
runs, although only four were earned. He gave up 10 hits,
walked three, and hit three batters.
In
addition to Hollingsworth's first career four-hit game, Bigler
went 2-for-2 with two RBI, a walk and three runs scored. Dunbar
and Wible also added an RBI each while Wible extended his
UCR season-long hit streak to 11 games.
(April
22, 2006) - UC Riverside saw its three-game Big West Conference
winning streak come to an end as Cal Poly evened up the teams’
series at one game all with an 8-4 victory Saturday afternoon
at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders fall to 20-14,
3-2 Big West, while the Mustangs improve to 22-18, 6-5.
For
the second straight day, UCR fell behind in the first inning
as the Mustangs manufactured a run without gaining a hit.
Jimmy Gardiner led off with a walk, then stole second and
advanced to third and scored on consecutive groundouts.
UCR
evened the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning when sophomore
1B Aaron Wible delivered a sacrifice fly to plate junior CF
Brett Bigler, who had tripled. The Highlanders scored twice
more in the second but could have had more. Back-to-back singles
to open the inning and sacrifice bunt put runners at second
and third. With two outs, senior RF Aaron Grant hit a grounder
deep into the hole between first and second. Cal Poly 2B Pat
Pezet ranged to his left and smothered the ball before throwing
to first. Grant was able to beat it out for a hit and in doing
so, scored junior DH Nick Salotti. Junior 2B Kyle Barratt,
who had started the play at second base, never stopped hustling
and came home when he saw no Mustang covering the plate. The
Highlanders weren’t done as a walk and a single put
runners on first and second when senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer
singled to left. Grant charged home from second but was thrown
out at the plate by Gardiner, ending the inning.
That
would be the last threat for the Highlanders. Cal Poly regained
the lead in the top of the third, scoring three times off
of UCR senior RHP Haley Winter (3-3). Winter allowed three
consecutive singles for the first run and Josh Lansford tied
the game on an RBI groundou. With two outs, Grant Desme hit
an RBI single to give the Mustangs a lead they would not relinquish.
Cal
Poly extended its advantage with two runs in the fifth to
knock out Winter. Back-to-back singles to open the inning
marked the end of Winter’s day as sophomore RHP Adam
Reifer came on in relief. But Reifer’s first batter,
Jimmy Van Ostrand, smashed a two-run double off the wall in
center to increase the Mustang lead to 6-3.
The
Highlanders put runners on second and third with two out in
the fifth but Salotti struck out to end that rally. A squeeze
bunt by Gardiner in the sixth added another run for the visitors
before Wible hit his second sacrifice fly of the day in the
seventh to make it 7-4. Brent Morel put the game out of reach
with a solo home run in the eighth.
Winter
lasted just four innings, allowing six runs on nine hits and
two walks. He struck out one. Reifer gave up two runs on five
hits in his four innings of work.
Gary
Daley (5-5) picked up the victory for Cal Poly, giving up
four runs (three earned) on seven hits in seven innings. He
walked three and struck out seven. Rocky Roquet pitched the
final two innings.
Bigler
continued to shine at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs
scored. Wible, despite driving in two runs, was 0-for-2 and
saw his 11-game hitting streak end. Grant also had two RBI.
(April
23, 2006) - Cal Poly used two big innings on Sunday to take
the series at UC Riverside with a 7-1 victory at the Riverside
Sports Complex. The Highlanders fall to 20-15, 3-3 in the
Big West Conference, while the Mustangs improve to 23-18,
7-5.
After splitting the first
two games of the series, the teams matches zeroes on the scoreboard
for the first four innings. Cal Poly, who has now taken five
straight series from UCR, broke through in the fifth with
three runs off of Highlander junior starter Taylor Bills (4-2).
Bryan Kepner led off with a single and scored on a double
by Brent Morel. After a passed ball moved Morel to third,
Pat Pezet, who entered the game 1-for-21 on the season, smashed
a two-run home run over the rightfield fence to make it 3-0.
UCR came up with a run
in the sixth as junior CF Brett Bigler and senior 3B Brian
Steinmeyer hit consecutive singles to open the inning. A sacrifice
bunt moved the runners up and sophomore C Jeff Dunbar delivered
a sacrifice fly to plate Bigler. But that would be the last
of the Highlander scoring as the Mustangs gave themselves
a comfortable advantage with four runs in the eighth off of
UCR junior reliever Dan Runzler. A walk, three singles, a
triple, and a sacrifice fly provided all the offense Cal Poly
would need.
Casey Fien (4-1) threw seven
innings of six-hit ball, allowing the one run while walking
one and striking out three. D.J. Mauldin pitched the final
two innings without conceding a hit.
Bills suffered the defeat,
giving up three runs on six hits and three walks in five innings.
He struck out two. Runzler was tagged for four runs on three
hits in 2 2/3 innings. Junior RHP Daniel Stange cleaned up
with 1 1/3 innings of one-hit work.
Bigler had his 17th multi-hit
game of the season with a 3-for-3 effort. Steinmeyer went
2-for-4 with junior 2B Kyle Barratt collecting the only other
Highlander hit.
(Apr.
24, 2006) - UC Riverside junior Brett Bigler was selected
the Big West Conference Player of the Week for the week of
April 17-23, it was announced today by the conference office.
This is Bigler’s first-ever player of the week award
and he is the first Highlander field player to earn the honor
this season.
Bigler,
a 6-3 centerfielder from Santa Ana, had a torrid week at the
plate, going 10-for-14 (.714) with multi-hit games in each
of UCR’s four contests to give him 17 multi-hit games
this year. He ended the week with four RBI, seven runs scored,
a slugging percentage of .929 and an on-base percentage of
.722.
He
opened the week on Tuesday with a 2-for-5 effort with two
runs batted in and a run scored as UC Riverside recorded its
first victory over a ranked opponent this season in an 11-1
victory over #19 San Diego. He followed that up by going 2-for-2
with two RBI and three runs scored in a 9-3 win Friday over
Cal Poly. In that game, Bigler hit his seventh double of the
year while also walking once, hitting a sacrifice fly, and
laying down a sacrifice bunt. Bigler completed the weekend
with consecutive three-hit games, going 3-for-4 with a triple
and two runs scored on Saturday and 3-for-3 with a walk and
one run scored on Sunday, both UCR losses.
For
the year, Bigler is leading UCR with a .376 average, 50 hits,
three triples and a career-high 19 stolen bases. He also has
surpassed his previous career-high with 20 RBI. In six Big
West games thus far in 2006, Bigler has a team-leading .652
batting average while slugging 1.000. He also has played stellar
defense, committing just one error in 86 chances.
Bigler
is the second Highlander to be honored by the conference office
this year, joining sophomore RHP James Simmons, who was named
the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week for January 30-February
5. Bigler is first field player to earn Big West Player of
the Week honors since Nick Salotti won the award the final
week of the 2005 season.
UCR
(20-15, 3-3 Big West) closes out a four-game home stand when
it hosts UNLV on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Highlanders then travel
to league-leaders Cal State Fullerton for a three-game series
beginning Friday at 7 p.m.
(April
25, 2006) - UC Riverside snapped a two-game losing streak
with a 6-4 victory over the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
in a non-conference game Tuesday night at the Riverside Sports
Complex. The Highlanders split the home-and-home series with
the Rebels to improve to 21-15 on the season while dropping
UNLV to 17-25.
UCR
overcame a 4-3 deficit by scoring runs in three of the last
four innings. Sophomore 1B
Aaron Wible’s two-out double off the wall in left tied
the game in the bottom of the fifth and the Highlanders took
the lead in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by senior RF
Andy Clay and sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza. UCR tacked on an
insurance run in the eighth when junior DH Nick Salotti opened
the inning with a double, his second of the game, with pinch-hitting
senior Aaron Grant delivering an RBI groundout two batters
later.
Junior
LHP Marc Rzepczynski (2-1) had his most productive start of
the season, striking out eight in seven innings. He allowed
five hits and four runs, although none of the runs were earned.
He walked two while throwing a season-high 112 pitches. Sophomore
RHP Adam Reifer tossed one inning of scoreless relief before
junior RHP Daniel Stange closed out the ninth for his ninth
save of the season, tying the school’s Division I record.
UNLV
scored all four of its runs in the fourth thanks to shoddy
UCR fielding. With one out, Keith Smith walked. Rzepczynski
looked to get out of the inning when the next batter, Chris
Bonnell, hit a grounder to short that could have been a double
play ball to end the inning. But Pedroza couldn’t handle
it, putting runners on first and second. Zach Borba followed
with a grounder to second but UCR junior 2B Kyle Barratt threw
the ball into the dugout, allowing Smith to score and moving
the runners to second and third. Consecutive singles tied
the game at three and UNLV took a 4-3 lead on an RBI groundout
by Xavier Scruggs.
UCR
had taken a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single up the
middle by senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer to plate junior LF D.J.
Hollingsworth, who had earlier walked and stolen second. Salotti
gave the Highlanders a 3-0 advantage with a two-out, two-run
double with the bases loaded in the third.
Salotti
went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI to give him a team-leading
13 doubles on the season. Steinmeyer was also 2-for-4, adding
an RBI and two runs scored. Bigler was hitless in three at-bats,
ending his nine-game hitting streak.
Ryan
Tabor (2-4) took the loss for UNLV, giving up five runs on
six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out
four. Smith and Braden Walker each had two hits.
(Apr.
26, 2006) - UC Riverside sophomore RHP James Simmons
has been added to the watch list for the 2006 Roger Clemens
Award, it was announced Wednesday. Simmons is one of 78 NCAA
Division I pitchers competing for the college baseball pitcher
of the year award.
The regular Friday night
starter for the Highlanders, Simmons is 7-3 with a 2.71 ERA
this season, ranking tied for fourth and sixth, respectively,
in the Big West Conference.
The 6-3 righthander from
Norco is also fifth in strikeouts (68) and tenth in opponents’
batting average (.245). He has nine outings of six innings
or more, including three in which he has gone eight innings.
Simmons has also struck out a career-high 10 batters three
separate times. He was Big West Pitcher of the Week for January
30-February 5.
The Clemens Award has been
presented annually since 2004 to college baseball’s
top pitcher. An initial watch list was comprised of players
named to pre-season All-American teams by Baseball America,
Collegiate Baseball and by the National Collegiate Baseball
Writers of America (NCBWA). Additional nominations were submitted
by the Sports Information staffs of the schools during the
last week of April. Each weekly honoree of the NCBWA Pitcher
of the Week will be added to the list through the end of the
first round of voting. Division I coaches and a selection
of national media then vote for the finalists. The winner
will be announced July 12 at the Marriott Westchase Hotel
in Houston.
Past winners of the award
are Luke Hochevar of Tennessee (2005) and Jered Weaver of
Long Beach State (2004). A complete list of 2006 candidates
can be viewed at www.clemensaward.com/candidates.html.
(April
28, 2006) - UC Riverside scored twice in the top of the 11th
inning to upset #1 Cal State Fullerton 9-7 Friday night in
a Big West Conference game at Goodwin Field. The Highlanders
improve to 22-15, 4-3 in the Big West while handing the Titans
just their second conference loss as they fall to 31-11, 8-2.
Fans
expecting a low-scoring affair between two of the top pitching
staffs in the Big West Conference were instead met with a
wild game in which UCR overcame a 5-0 deficit with five runs
in the fourth inning. The Highlanders then went ahead 7-5
before the Titans scored once in the eighth and once more
in the ninth to force extra innings. The teams combined for
16 runs, 29 hits, and 24 strikeouts.
The Titan's top pitching
in the Big West couldn't contain UCR junior CF Brett Bigler,
who entered the game hitting .652 in conference play. Bigler
didn't slow down in Friday's opener, jumpstarting three of
UCR's scoring innings en route to a 4-for-5 outing. Bigler
also scored three times and hit his team-leading fourth triple
of the season in collecting his third four-hit game of the
year. Sophomore C Jeff Dunbar was 3-for-6 while junior DH
Nick Salotti and sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza each drove in
two runs.
Bigler ignited the Highlanders'
11th inning by leading off with a walk off Vinnie Pestano
(1-1) and advancing to third on an error by CSUF 1B Brett
Pill. After a walk to senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer, junior 1B
Kyle Barratt hit a sacrifice fly to left to give UCR the lead.
Two batters later, junior LF D.J. Hollingsworth drew the third
walk of the inning to load the bases. Pestano continued to
struggle with his control, issuing his fourth walk, this time
to sophomore 2B Drew Garcia, to force home the second run
of the inning.
Junior RHP Daniel Stange
(1-1) picked up the win despite blowing his second save of
the season. Stange came on to get the final out of the eighth,
then looked to close it out in the ninth with UCR ahead 7-6.
Stange got the first out, then gave up a single to Evan McArthur.
Matthew Fahey struck out for the second out as McArthur stole
second. But Justin Turner singled through the left side to
score McArthur to tie the game at 7-all.
Fullerton took the lead
in the second on Brandon Tripp's two-run homer off sophomore
RHP James Simmons. They added three more runs in the third,
aided by a two-run home run by Pill. UCR put together six
hits in the fourth to tie the game at 5-5. Again it was Bigler
who got things started, singling to lead off and then stealing
second. Two batters later, sophomore 1B Aaron Wible brought
him home with a single. Consecutive singles by Hollingsworth
and Dunbar added another run and Salotti hit into an RBI fielder's
choice to make it 5-3. After a single by Garcia, Pedroza delivered
a two-run double to knot the game at five.
Bigler again was in the
midst as UCR took the lead. He opened the fifth with a triple,
coming home on a double by Steinmeyer. Salotti added a sacrifice
fly in the eighth to give UCR a 7-5 lead.
Simmons gave up five runs
on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. Sophomore LHP Dan Runzler relieved
and allowed one run on one hit and two walks in 1 1/3 innings
before Stange closed out the final three innings. The three
Highlander pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts.
CSUF starter Wes Roemer
entered the game with a BWC-leading 1.46 ERA but was tagged
for six runs on ten hits in seven innings. Pestano walked
seven in 2 1/3 innings but was the only Fullerton pitcher
to issue any free passes. Five Titan hurlers matched UCR with
12 strikeouts of their own.
The victory was UCR's sixth
in seventh games against the Titans when Fullerton has been
ranked #1 in the nation. It was also the Highlanders' first
extra-innings win of the season following three losses.
(April
29, 2006) - No. 1 Cal State Fullerton bounced back from a
Friday night loss with an 11-3 Big West Conference victory
over visiting UC Riverside Saturday night at Goodwin Field.
The win snaps UCR's three-game winning streak against the
Titans to drop them to 22-16, 4-4 Big West and CSUF improved
to 32-11 overall and 9-2 in league.
Blake
Davis extended his hitting streak to 12 games as he got the
Titans on the board in the bottom of the first with an RBI
triple that brought home Justin Turner. Brett Pill drove in
Davis a batter later with a single to right field off UCR
starter Haley Winter (3-4) who would eventually be tagged
with the loss. Fullerton scored one more time in the first,
when David Cooper picked up one of his three hits on the night,
driving in Pill to give the Titans and Gagnier a 3-0 lead
to work with.
Riverside's
leadoff hitter Aaron Grant touched Gagnier for a solo home
run in the top of the third, the first of two that the Titan
righty would allow, but the only one that left Goodwin Field.
Fullerton came back with a pair of runs in the bottom half
of the third, as four singles brought home two more runs to
give the Titans a 5-1 lead. Danny Dorn and Brandon Tripp also
picked up RBI-singles off Winter, who lasted 5 1/3 innings,
and eventually gave up seven earned runs on the night.
A bit of controversy ensued in the top of the fifth as with
one out, Riverside's Drew Garcia launched a ball to the deepest
part right-center field, a ball that Brandon Tripp seemingly
made a dazzling play on, slamming into the wall with a great
catch. Despite Tripp's immediate lifting of his glove to show
that he held on to the ball, first base umpire Billy Haze
ruled that Tripp did not retain possession after contact with
the wall, allowing Garcia to circle the bases for an inside-the-park
home run. The umpires met after a discussion with Titan skipper
George Horton, but the call stood, with the Titans leading
5-2.
The
run ended up not to matter as Fullerton would score six more
times off three Riverside relievers in the sixth, seventh
and eighth innings, with the biggest run-producing hit being
a two-run double by Evan McArthur in the seventh inning off
of reliever Pat Cassa.
Gagnier
(10-3) would pick up another quality start, going seven innings,
allowing three earned runs on eight scattered hits to pick
up his nation-leading (tie) 10th win of the season. UCR would
score their final run in the seventh inning as Garcia led
off the frame with a double to left field then move to third
on a ground ball. He would score a batter later as Gagnier
would uncork one of his two wild pitches on the night, allowing
to Garcia to trot home with Riverside's third run of the night.
The
Titans rattled off 17 hits, with six players collecting two
or more hits, including Cooper and Turner leading the way
with three apiece. Turner, Davis, Tripp and McArthur each
drove in a pair of runs as the Titans improved to 9-0 when
scoring 10-or-more runs in a game.
Garcia
was the Riverside leader with three hits of his own while
Grant, Jeff Dunbar, and D.J. Hollingsworth each had two hits
of their own.
Adam
Jorgenson and Justin Klipp pitched a scoreless final two innings
for the Titans, with Jorgenson allowing just a pair of singles
in his 2/3 of an inning.
(April
30, 2006) - Brandon Tripp and Justin Turner each homered and
drove in three as No. 1 Cal State Fullerton took the rubber-match
versus UC Riverside by an 11-3 score for the second straight
day, in a Big West Conference series at Goodwin Field Sunday
afternoon. The Titans won their 11th series in 13 opportunities
and improve to 33-11 overall, and 10-2 in league, while the
Highlanders fall to 22-17, 4-5.
Dustin
Miller (9-1) became the Titans' second nine-game winner as
he tossed a solid seven innings, allowing five scattered hits
before handing the ball to the bullpen. Miller surrendered
all three Riverside runs to score, though a pair of runs in
the sixth would be unearned after an Evan McArthur throwing
error extended the inning.
Riverside junior starter Taylor Bills allowed seven earned
runs over six innings of work to drop his record to 4-3. Bills
walked five and stuck out just one in the losing effort.
Turner
and Tripp led the way offensively with a pair of hits each,
with Tripp's first, a two-run home run to center that got
the Titans on the board in the second inning. He later added
an RBI single in the Titans' two-run sixth. Turner followed
a seventh-inning single with his first-ever home run at Goodwin
Field, a three-run shot to greet Riverside sophomore reliever
Adam Reifer in the bottom of the eighth. That home run capped
a four-run eighth, putting the game well out of reach.
Blake
Davis added two RBI of his own with his 13th career triple
in the third and a sacrifice fly in the eighth to drive in
John Curtis both times from third base.
Riverside
posted a lone run in the top of the third as senior RF Aaron
Grant lifted a ball deep enough to Danny Dorn in left field
to score junior INF Kyle Barratt from third. Barrett had singled
and advanced around to third base one of sophomore SS Jaime
Pedroza's team-leading two hits.
In
the sixth, Evan McArthur made a great sliding grab to save
a Brian Steinmeyer double down the third base line, but when
he came up, his throw pulled Brett Pill off the bag allowing
the UCR senior third baseman aboard with an error. The throwing
miscue would have ended the inning, but as fate would have
it two batters later, junior LF D.J. Hollingsworth launched
his third home run of the year to right-center, getting the
Highlanders as close as they would get at 4-3.
The
Titans bounced back with two runs of their own in the bottom
half of the sixth, and another again in the seventh to extend
their lead to 7-4 for Titan relievers Ryan Paul and Vinnie
Pestano to work with. The lefty-righty combination would toss
a perfect eighth and ninth to secure the victory.
2005-06
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