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(April 1,
2007) - UC Davis salvaged the final game of a three-game series,
avoiding a sweep by defeating UC Riverside 3-1 Sunday afternoon
at Dobbins Stadium in Davis, CA. The Highlanders fall to 18-11
while the Aggies improve to 9-16.
After pounding out 14 hits
on Saturday, UCR was stifled to just three hits by Jeff Reekers
(3-2). Reekers tossed 7 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run
and striking out two before giving way to Eddie Gamboa, who
finished up with the last five outs for his first save.
The Aggies scored their
first run of the game in the first inning as Matt Dempsey
and Brandon Oliver hit back-to-back singles with Dempsey scoring
on a throwing error by junior 2B Ben Price two batters later.
Evan Hudson singled home
another run in the third inning off a chopper that found its
way to right field to score Dempsey from third. The Aggies
looked to add to their advantage in the inning with the bases
loaded by UCR senior LHP Pat Cassa got out of the jam by forcing
Kyle Mihaylo to ground into a fielder's choice.
The Highlanders would cut
into the lead in the fourth inning with freshman 1B Mark Samuelson
hitting a long sacrifice fly to third base, allowing freshman
RF Joey Gonzales to score from third. Gonzales had walked
to lead off the inning and went to third on junior SS Jaime
Pedroza's single to left center.
After giving up the run,
Reekers retired the next 13 Highlanders before senior 3B Kyle
Barratt's eighth inning double. By that time, Ryan Royster
had added to the Aggie lead in the sixth with an RBI single
up the middle that scored Hudson from second. With Barratt
on second in the eighth, junior C Jeff Dunbar then singled
to put runners on the corners and bring the go-ahead run to
the plate. Gamboa entered the game and got the next two batters
to fly out to end the threat.
Cassa (2-3) went 5 2/3 innings,
allowing three runs, although just one was earned. He gave
up seven hits and walked two while striking out two. Sophomore
Stephen Penney and freshman Joe Kelly held Davis hitless over
the last 2 1/3 innings.
Samuelson drove in a run
for the sixth consecutive game, albeit in an 0-for-4 effort.
Despite scoring UCR's only run, Gonzales saw his season-high
hitting streak end at 14 games. Price's eight-game hitting
streak also came to an end.
Dempsey and Oliver each
went 2-for-4 for the Aggies.
UCR returns home to open
Big West Conference play against UC Santa Barbara. The series
is slated to start Thursday at 7 p.m. with Friday's game at
3 p.m. and Saturday's finale at 1 p.m.
(April 2,
2007) - UC Riverside junior righthander James Simmons was
named the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week for March
26- April 1, the conference office announced Monday. The award
is Simmons’ second of the year and fourth of his career
as he becomes the first Highlander pitcher to be so honored
four times.
Simmons (Norco, CA/Norco HS) was as dominating as he has been
all season in Friday’s 4-1 win over UC Davis. Simmons
retired the game’s first 11 batters before his no-hit
bid was broken up with two outs in the fourth. Undeterred,
he then set down the next 12 Aggies and carried a one-hit
shutout into the ninth. Simmons finished with his third complete
game of the season, a three-hitter, and allowed a lone unearned
run while striking out five and walking none.
Simmons
leads the Highlanders this season with a 6-1 record and 2.06
earned run average. He has 54 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings
and opponents are hitting a conference-low .179 against him.
In his three-year career, Simmons is 18-7. He was previously
named Big West Pitcher of the Week on February 19 this season
and is the first player to be twice honored by the conference
this year.
UCR
(18-11) kicks off Big West play this Thursday when it hosts
UC Santa Barbara in the opener of a three-game series. Thursday’s
game is scheduled for 7 p.m. with Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday’s
finale at 1 p.m.
(April 5,
2007) - UC Riverside opened Big West Conference play with
a dominating 9-0 victory over visiting UC Santa Barbara Thursday
night at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders improve
to 19-11, 1-0 Big West while the Gauchos lose their sixth
straight to fall to 11-17, 0-1.
Junior
RHP James Simmons (7-1) carried a perfect game into the fifth
and left after eight innings, conceding two hits. He struck
out 10, nine looking, and walked none, throwing just 95 pitches,
63 for strikes. Every Highlander starter reached base as UCR
smacked 13 hits on the evening.
Junior
LF Aaron Wible led the way at 3-for-4, smashing a pair of
solo home runs and driving in three runs. Sophomore CF Carl
Uhl reached base four times on two hits and two walks with
a pair of RBI. Senior 3B Kyle Barratt and junior C Jeff Dunbar
each added two hits and an RBI.
UCR
jumped on top with four runs in the second inning with Wible
opening the inning with a towering home run to center field.
Two batters later, junior 2B Ben Price walked and Barratt
followed with a single to right. Dunbar hit the first pitch
he saw from UCSB pitcher Brian Tracy into the right-center
field gap for a run-scoring double that made it 2-0. The Highlanders
then took advantage of some aggressive baserunning to double
their lead. Uhl swung at the first pitch, blooping a ball
into center field. Rounding first and trying for second, Uhl
got himself caught in a rundown. Barratt moved to third on
the hit and broke for home during the rundown, knocking the
ball out of UCSB catcher Chris McMurray's hand for the third
run. With Uhl at first and Dunbar at third, Tracy wheeled
to first, getting Uhl picked off but Dunbar drew a throw as
he scampered home for the fourth run.
The
Highlanders tacked on another run in the third on Price's
sacrifice fly. In the meantime, Simmons was cruising, retiring
the first 12 batters, half via strikeout. His perfecto was
broken up on the first pitch of the fifth when Mike Zuanich
flared a single over Price's head for the Gauchos' first hit
of the game. Two batters later, Brian Gump sent a single to
left for runners on first and second but Simmons caught Patrick
Rose looking on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat. Simmons went
on to get nine of the next 10 batters.
UCR
continued to add to its lead, loading the bases with one out
in the fifth and scoring when Tracy walked Uhl to force in
a run. He bounced back by striking out Gonzales to leave the
bases juiced but that was the end of the day for Tracy (1-2),
who lasted five innings, allowing six runs on eight hits.
He struck out four, walked six, and hit two.
The
Highlanders pushed across two more runs in the sixth on a
bases loaded infield single by Wible and a sacrifice fly by
Barratt. Wible added his second home run leading off the eighth.
The
two-homer night was the first of Wible's career, doubling
his season total to four. He is the first Highlander to go
yard twice in the same game since Matt Cunningham did so at
Cal Poly on May 21, 2005.
(April 6,
2007) - UC Santa Barbara scored three runs in the top of the
eighth inning to defeat UC Riverside 5-4 Friday afternoon
at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders drop to 19-12,
1-1 Big West while the Gauchos snap their six-game losing
streak and improve to 12-17, 1-1.
The
game took awhile to get going, with the teams matching scoreless
frames through the first three innings. UCSB went up 1-0 in
the fourth on Mike Zuanich's run-scoring double and added
a run in the sixth on a bases loaded walk. Junior LHP Marc
Rzepczynski surrendered three consecutive singles to open
the inning and was relieved by junior LHP Dan Runzler after
falling behind 1-0 to Shane Carlson. Runzler issued three
straight balls to force in the Gauchos' second run but managed
to get out of the inning without any further damage.
On
the other side, Chuck Huggins was setting down the Highlanders,
carrying a no-hitter into the sixth. Huggins retired 18 of
the first 20 batters he faced, allowing a pair of walks in
the third and fifth. Sophomore CF Carl Uhl broke up Huggins'
no-hitter in the bottom of the sixth, leading off with a bunt
single to the pitcher. Uhl was originally called out but the
play was reversed when the plate umpire saw that the ball
had dropped from Blauer's glove at first. Huggins then induced
a fielder's choice groundout and caught freshman RF Joey Gonzales
stealing to keep the game at 2-0.
The
pressure of the no-hitter off their backs, the Highlanders
got to Huggins with four runs in the seventh. After Pedroza
singled to open the inning, junior LF Aaron Wible continued
his home run binge with an opposite-field two-run blast that
cleared the high wall in right-center field and tied the game
at two-all. Two outs later, junior 2B Ben Price singled to
right and freshman 3B Phil Boscarino tagged a 2-1 pitch high
off the screen in left for his first career home run, giving
the Highlanders a 4-2 lead.
Runzler
ran into trouble in the eighth, loading the bases on a pair
of walks and hitting a batter, marking the end of his day.
On came freshman RHP Joe Kelly to face Chris Fox but the Gaucho
stung a two-run single up the middle to tie the game. Mario
Lewis then hit a slow grounder to third to bring home pinch-hitter
Steve Domecus with the go-ahead run.
UCR
put the tying run on second in the eighth when Uhl led off
with a double down the left field line. But he was picked
off of second and that ended the threat. The Gauchos, in turn,
put runners on first and third in the ninth but Kelly got
a double-play ball to end the inning. Freshman pinch-hitter
Ryan Goetz doubled with two outs in the ninth off Justin Segal
to put the tying run on second but he was stranded there as
Segal struck out Price on an inside pitch for the save.
Runzler
(2-6) was tagged for the loss despite not giving up a hit
in 2 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs on three walks while
striking out four. Rzepczynski lasted five innings, striking
out seven while conceding two runs on eight hits and two walks.
After
homering twice on Thursday, Wible hit his fifth of the season
Friday with his third home run in two games, setting a new
career high. Uhl finished the game 2-for-4 while Boscarino
was 1-for-2 with two RBI and a walk.
Huggins
(4-0) gained the win, going seven innings and allowing four
runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two. Segal
grabbed his fourth save, giving up a pair of hits and striking
out two in two innings of work. Patrick Rose went 3-for-5
for the Gauchos while Fox and Chris McMurray each had two
hits. Fox also had two RBI.
(April 7,
2007) - Freshman designated hitter Ryan Goetz's two-out RBI
single in the bottom of the ninth inning capped a two-run
rally to send the host UC Riverside Highlanders to a 9-8 come-from-behind
win over the visiting UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at the Riverside
Sports Complex Saturday.
The Highlanders improve
to 20-12 overall and 2-1 in the Big West, while the Gauchos
fall to 12-18, 1-2.
The Highlanders trailed
8-7 entering the bottom of the ninth against Gaucho closer
Justin Segal. Segal got the first two outs of the inning,
but then surrendered a booming triple high off of the center
field wall to freshman first baseman Mark Samuelson. Segal
then induced a ground ball to short off of the bat of Highlander
left fielder junior Aaron Wible, but Gaucho shortstop Shane
Carlson's throw from the lip of the grass sailed over the
outstretched arms of first baseman Mike Zuanich and into the
dugout, scoring Samuelson to tie the game and putting Wible
into scoring position.
Goetz then followed with
a sinking line drive that Gaucho center fielder Chris Fox
made an all-or-nothing dive for. The ball skipped past him
and Wible, who was running on contact, easily scored to give
the Highlanders the win.
UCR sophomore reliever Stephen
Penney (2-1) earned the win in relief of senior starter Pat
Cassa. Penney allowed just one hit but a pair of unearned
runs in two innings of work. Segal fell to 1-2 with the loss.
The Gauchos scored five
runs in the first inning on just one hit off of Cassa. After
getting the first two outs, Cassa surrendered a walk, a hit
by pitch, a wild pitch, then two more walks, the second one
accounting for the Gauchos' first run. Then right fielder
Mario Lewis made it 5-0 sending a grand slam deep down the
left field line for his second homer of the year. UCSB added
a single run in the top of the second on an RBI single by
first baseman Robbie Blauer.
But the Highlanders' offense
came alive and Cassa settled down, retiring 16-of-17 batters
and 14 in a row. UCR scored a single run in the second on
an RBI groundout by junior second baseman Ben Price, another
in the third on an RBI single by Pedroza, two in the fourth
on a two run double by Price, then tied it in the sixth when
Wible crushed his sixth homer of the year. UCR took the lead
in the sixth on an RBI single by freshman right fielder Joey
Gonzales.
The Gauchos retook the lead
in the top of the eighth, taking advantage of a controversial
play to score a pair of runs. With runners on second and third
and two outs, Lewis' slapped a nubber down the first base
line. Penney came over to make the play, but his throw hit
Lewis, who was running on the inside of the baseline. The
ball skipped away and Zuanich and Brian Gump came around to
score to make the score 8-7 and setting up the thrilling finish.
(April 9,
2007) - UC Riverside junior Aaron Wible was named the Big
West Conference Player of the Week while classmate James Simmons
earned the conference’s co-Pitcher of the Week award
for April 2-8, the conference office announced Monday. The
award is the first of Wible’s career while Simmons gains
his second in a row and third of the season, sharing the honor
with UC Irvine’s Scott Gorgen.
Wible
(Riverside, CA/Riverside Poly HS) batted 7-for-13 (.538) and
blasted at least one home run in all three contests against
UC Santa Barbara to guide the Highlanders to a 2-1 mark to
open Big West play. In Thursday’s series opener, he
gave UCR a 1-0 lead in the second with his first of two home
runs. Later in the game he knocked his second long bomb to
lead off the seventh en route to a 9-0 Highlander victory.
He finished the evening 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs
scored, reaching base in four of his five plate appearances.
It marked Wible’s first career multi-home run game and
the first Highlander to master such a feat since Matt Cunningham
on May 21, 2005. On Friday, his two-run home run in the seventh
tied the game and jump-started a four-run Highlander rally.
He completed the week with a 3-for-5 effort on Saturday, adding
his fourth home run of the week, another two-run, game-tying
shot in the fifth. He also scored the game-winning run in
the bottom of the ninth in the series-clinching 9-8 win. For
the week, the 6-3 left fielder scored seven runs, while driving
in seven more, slugging 1.462. He raised his average from
.299 to .325 and is tied for the team lead with six home runs
and 31 runs batted in, both career highs.
A 6-4 righthander, Simmons (Murrieta, CA/Norco HS) followed
up last week’s Pitcher of the Week award with his school-record
fifth honor. He was also voted the InsidePitching.com West
Regional Performance of the Week. On Thursday, he tossed eight
innings of two-hit ball, taking a perfect game into the fifth
inning. Simmons retired the first 12 batters he faced, six
via strikeout, and conceded both hits in the fifth inning
en route to 10 strikeouts and no walks. Nine of his strikeouts
were looking. He improved his record to a team-best 7-1 while
lowering his earned run average to 1.81, second in the Big
West.
Wible
and Simmons become the first Highlanders to win both the player
and pitcher awards in the same week since Randy Blood and
Julio Fernandez on May 5, 2003. Wible is the third different
Highlander field player to win the award this year, following
sophomore CF Carl Uhl (February 5) and junior SS Jaime Pedroza
(March 19). For Simmons, he is the only pitcher to earn multiple
awards this year and gives UCR pitchers four of the 11 honors
thus far.
UCR
(20-12, 2-1 Big West) kicks off a seven-game road trip on
Tuesday at 3 p.m. at #21 San Diego. The Highlanders then head
north for a three-game weekend series at Washington beginning
Friday.
(April 10,
2007) - UC Riverside rallied from a 6-2 deficit to win 8-7
at #21 University of San Diego Tuesday afternoon at Cunningham
Stadium in San Diego. The Highlanders sweep the season series
against USD to improve to 21-12 while the Toreros fall to
26-13.
UCR showed clutch hitting,
rallying from a 6-2 deficit and scoring six of its first seven
runs with two outs. After USD increased its lead to 7-5 in
the sixth, UCR tied it in the seventh off Russell Holzhauer.
Junior LF Aaron Wible just missed a home run, doubling off
the wall in left-center. Freshman pinch-hitter Joey Gonzales
followed with a seeing-eye double down the line in left. Freshman
DH Ryan Goetz then singled home Gonzales with a flare to center
and the game was tied at seven.
USD put runnings on first
and third with no outs in the seventh but sophomore RHP Stephen
Penney kept the Toreros off the board, striking out the next
two batters and getting Jordan Abruzzo to fly out to left.
The Highlanders took advantage
of a pair of Torero defensive miscues in the eighth. Freshman
1B Mark Samuelson led off with a towering infield pop up but
third baseman Kevin Hansen lost it in the blue sky and setting
sun, with the ball falling for an infield hit. Junior 3B Kyle
Barratt then laid down a sacrifice bunt but Hansen rushed
his throw trying to get Samuelson at second and the ball went
into center field, putting runners on first and third. Junior
C Jeff Dunbar then smacked a single to left to give UCR its
first lead since the first inning. The Highlanders could not
add to their advantage, however, as sophomore CF Carl Uhl
forced Barratt at third and junior 2B Ben Price lined into
a double play.
Penney set down the Toreros
again in the eighth, giving way to freshman RHP Joe Kelly,
who retired the side in order in the ninth for his second
save. Penney picked up the win to improve to 3-1, tossing
2 1/3 innings of one-hit ball and striking out three.
Holzhauer (1-1) was saddled
with the loss, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits
in an inning of work.
Neither starter figured
in the decision. UCR junior LHP Dan Runzler lasted a shade
over two innings, giving up four runs on three hits and four
walks. Ricardo Picena went 4 1/3 innings for USD, allowing
two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four.
Uhl finished 2-for-4 with
three RBI. Wible, Samuelson, and Dunbar also had two hits
apiece as UCR pounded out 15 hits total. Abruzzo had two hits
and a pair of RBI for USD.
The teams switched turns
taking the lead in the opening few innings. Junior SS Jaime
Pedroza's team-leading seventh home run of the season, a solo
shot to left-center, gave UCR a 1-0 lead in the first. USD
struck back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first
off Runzler. Shane Buschini singled and moved to second on
a walk to Logan Gelbrich, with Kevin Muno moving the runners
up with a sacrifice bunt for the inning's first out. Runzler
then got Daniel Magness to pop up and walked Hansen to load
the bases but Mike Metzger delivered a two-out single to right
to put the Toreros on top, 2-1.
UCR pulled even in the third
when Uhl doubled to left and Price squibbed a single over
the first-base bag to bring home Uhl with the tying run. The
game would not remain even for long as Abruzzo launched Runzler's
first offering of the third over the wall in center for a
3-2 lead. After hitting and walking the next two batters,
Runzler's day came to a close as he was replaced by sophomore
RHP D.J. Smith. Another sacrifice bunt by Muno put the runners
on second and third and Magness hit a deep sacrifice fly to
right that made it 4-2. Smith managed to get out of the inning
without any further damage.
The Highlanders looked to
pull back in the fourth, putting runners on first and second
with one out but Hansen made a diving back-hand stop at third,
stepping on the base and throwing across to first for an inning-ending
double play. That proved crucial as Abruzzo hit an RBI double
and Buschini followed with a sacrifice fly to increase the
USD lead to 6-2 after four innings.
UCR rallied with two outs
in the sixth to make it a one-run game. Three consecutive
singles loaded the bases and Uhl came through with a bases-clearing
double into the right-center field gap. Uhl was thrown out
trying to stretch it into a triple but not before the third
run came across to pull UCR back to 6-5.
(April 13,
2007) - The University of Washington used three home runs
for an 8-2 non-conference win over UC Riverside Friday at
Husky Ballpark. The Huskies improve their record to 17-15
on the season while the Highlanders fall to 21-13.
Husky
starter Jorden Merry (6-3) held the Highlanders scoreless
on four hits over six innings. He walked five and struck out
four. Jason Erickson threw the final three innings to pick
up his first save.
UCR
junior RHP James Simmons (7-2) suffered his first loss since
March 2, giving up seven runs (four earned) on nine hits over
five innings. Simmons issued three walks and struck out seven.
The
Huskies took advantage of a two-out error to score three in
the first. With two outs and a runner at first, Curt Rindal
hit a grounder to junior SS Jaime Pedroza, whose throw to
second was wide. Ty Rasmussen followed with his sixth home
run of the season, driving a ball the other way to right field.
In the third, Jake Rife reached on an infield single to open
the inning before Matt Hague drove a pitch down the right-field
line for his third homer of the year, staking the Huskies
with a 5-0 lead.
Rindal
led off the fifth by lining his eighth home run of the season
over the fence in left-center field, increasing the edge to
6-0. Rasmussen followed by drawing a walk and eventually made
it 7-0 when he scored on a single from Brett Kaluza.
With
Merry out of the game, UC Riverside scored two runs in the
seventh as sophomore CF Carl Uhl reached on a fielder’s choice,
stole second and scored on a single from freshman RF Joey
Gonzales. Gonzales later scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman
1B Mark Samuelson.
Gonzales finished the contest
3-for-5 while Pedroza was 2-for-5 to run his current hit streak
to eight games.
(April 14, 2007) - The University
of Washington scored six unanswered runs in the sixth and
seventh innings to defeat UC Riverside 12-6 Saturday afternoon
at Husky Ballpark. The Huskies improve to 18-15 on the season
while the Highlanders fall to 21-14.
For the second straight
day, the Huskies scored in the first inning. After leadoff
batter Michael Burgher walked and stole second, back-to-back
doubles by Curt Rindal and Ty Rasmussen staked UW to a 2-0
lead. The Highlanders came back through doubles of their own
to take their first lead of the series with four runs in the
third. With one out, junior SS Jaime Pedroza doubled, coming
home on freshman 1B Mark Samuelson's double to left-center.
A walk to junior LF Aaron Wible and single by junior DH Mike
Vass loaded the bases and knocked out Husky starter Cam Nobles.
On came Tyler Cheney, who subsequently walked junior 2B Ben
Price to force in the tying run. Senior 3B Kyle Barratt followed
with a two-run single through the right side for a 4-2 UCR
lead.
That would be the extent
of the Highlander advantage as the Huskies struck back with
a four-run inning of their own in the fifth to regain the
lead. With two outs and runners on second and third, Rindal
stroked a game-tying single to left-center. Rasmussen followed
with a double down the left field line and Joey Dunn made
it 6-4 with a two-run single through the left side.
UCR was not done, answering
back in the top of the sixth to tie the game. Sophomore CF
Carl Uhl reached on an error with one out and moved to second
when freshman RF Joey Gonzales walked. Pedroza then plated
Uhl with a single to center and both runners moved up on a
wild pitch, with Gonzales coming home on an RBI groundout
by Samuelson.
UCR would get no more runs
as the Huskies took over with two runs in the sixth and four
in the seventh. Sophomore RHP Stephen Penney relieved junior
lefty starter Marc Rzepczynski at the beginning of the sixth
and struck out the first batter. He then conceded back-to-back
singles but got the second out before hitting Matt Hague to
load the bases. Rindal again came through for the Huskies,
this time with a two-run single that skirted through the left
side for an 8-6 UW lead. Dunn's solo homer leading off the
seventh extended the Husky lead and they would add three more
runs in the inning despite only one hit.
Brandon McKerney (2-0),
the fourth of five Husky pitchers on the day, got the win,
tossing 1 2/3 innings of no-hit relief, striking out one and
walking one. Elliott Cribby pitched the final two innings,
allowing one hit. Nobles lasted 2 1/3 innings, allowing four
runs on five hits while walking four.
Penney took the loss to
drop to 3-2, giving up six runs on five hits in an inning
of work. Rzepczynski also allowed six runs, this time on seven
hits, while walking three and striking out five.
Pedroza went 2-for-3 with
a walk, an RBI, and a run scored. Vass also had two hits on
the day while Samuelson and Barratt each went 1-for-3 with
two RBI.
Rindal proved to be the
thorn in UCR's side, going 3-for-4 with five RBI and a pair
of runs scored. Burgher was 2-for-3 with three stolen bases
and three runs scored. Rasmussen, Dunn, and Brian Pearl all
also had two hits for the home side.
(April 15, 2007) - UC Riverside
jumped out early but the University of Washington scored the
game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth for a 6-5 victory
Sunday afternoon at Husky Ballpark. The loss drops the Highlanders
to 21-15 while the Huskies record a series sweep to improve
to 19-15 on the season.
In the ninth, Jake Rife
reached on an infield single, barely reaching first ahead
of a throw from shortstop. Matt Hague then reached on an error
by freshman 2B Phil Boscarino to put runners at first and
second with no outs. Rindal, who drove in five runs on Saturday,
then followed with a bouncing single through the left side
of the infield, plating Rife with the winning run.
UCR freshman RHP Joe Kelly
took the loss to fall to 0-1. Kelly, who entered the game
not having allowed an earned run in 14.2 innings this season,
allowed the one run on three hits over 1 2/3 innings. Senior
LHP Pat Cassa made the start, going 6 2/3 innings and giving
up five runs (three earned) on six hits. He struck out six
and walked one.
Husky reliever Nick Hagadone
(4-1) picked up the victory. Over his 4 2/3 innings, he allowed
one run on six hits while striking out five. UW starter Nick
Haughian went 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on three hits
and five walks.
The Highlanders took the
game’s first lead in the second. After a leadoff single from
junior LF Aaron Wible, freshman 1B Mark Samuelson belted his
fifth home run of the season to right field, putting the visitors
in front, 2-0.
Washington pulled a run
back in the third when second baseman Danny Cox singled, stole
second and eventually scored on a Rife groundout, cutting
the lead to 2-1. UCR stretched the lead to 4-2 with two in
the fifth. After walking one batter and hitting another, UW
starter Nick Haughian was relieved by Hagadone. Freshman RF
Joey Gonzales greeted the new pitcher with an RBI single through
the left side and another run came in on a sacrifice fly from
junior SS Jaime Pedroza.
The Huskies drew back within
one in the fifth as Michael Burgher was hit by a pitch and
Hague poked a home run to right to make it 4-3. Riverside
added a fifth run in the sixth when junior DH Mike Vass doubled
and scored on a single from senior 3B Kyle Barratt.
In the bottom of the sixth,
however, the Huskies loaded the bases on a single, an error
and a hit batter before sacrifice flies from Brett Kaluza
and Danny Cox drove in a run each to tie the game at 5-5.
Gonzales doubled with two
outs in the ninth but went no further, leading to Washington's
ninth inning. Gonzales finished 2-for-3 with a pair of walks
and an RBI. Wible and Vass also had two hits each while Samuelson
drove in a pair to take over the team lead with 35 RBI.
Ty Rasmussen went 3-for-3
while Hague was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Joey Dunn also collected
two hits.
(April 20, 2007) - UC Riverside
broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the top of the ninth inning
to record a 3-1 victory over #29 Cal Poly in the opening game
of a three-game Big West Conference baseball series Friday
night in Baggett Stadium. With the win, UC Riverside improves
to 22-15 overall and 3-1 in Big West games. Cal Poly falls
to 20-19 and 7-3.
UCR started its game-winning
rally when freshman 1B Mark Samuelson drew a leadoff walk
in the ninth. Samuelson moved to second on a sacrifice bunt
by junior LF Aaron Wible and was replaced by freshman pinch-runner
Joey Gonzales, who scored on an infield single by junior 2B
Ben Price. Junior C Jeff Dunbar's single to right field scored
Price with the insurance run.
Junior RHP James Simmons
(8-2) allowed one run and six hits with one walk and eight
strikeouts for the win. He threw 120 pitches, 82 for strikes,
for his fourth complete game of the season.
The loss went to Mustang
reliever Derrick Saito (3-2) as he allowed two runs and two
hits in 2.2 innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Starter
Eric Massingham pitched six innings, allowing a run on five
hits with one walk and three strikeouts, leaving with the
game tied 1-1.
UCR's seven hits included
three hits each by Price and Dunbar, the Nos. 7 and 9 hitters
in the Highlander batting order. Dunbar had tied the game
at 1-1 with a solo home run in the fifth inning, his second
of the year. Cal Poly collected six hits, including two by
Logan Schafer.
Cal Poly scored its lone
run in the third inning as Adam Buschini singled, moved to
second on Pat Pezet's sacrifice bunt, took third on a groundout
and came home on Schafer's single to left. The Mustangs had
other scoring opportunities but Simmons worked his way out
of all of them. Cal Poly put a runner on third with one out
in the fifth but Simmons struck out the next batter and stranded
the runner with a fly out to center. In the seventh, Simmons
got consecutive fly outs to leave Brian Kepner at second after
his one-out double and he stranded runners at second and third
in the eighth.
The win snapped UCR's three-game
road losing streak.
(April 21, 2007) - Cal Poly
evened up its three-game Big West Conference baseball series
with a 3-0 victory over UC Riverside Saturday night in Baggett
Stadium. The Highlanders fall to 22-16 overall and 3-2 in
the Big West while the 29th-ranked Mustangs improve to 21-19
and 8-3.
Matt Leonard (3-4) tossed
a complete-game three-hitter to keep the Highlanders at bay.
He struck out nine and walked four to outduel UCR junior LHP
Marc Rzepczynski, who also threw a complete game. Leonard
did not allow a runner to reach third base and only two to
second base while retiring the last 11 Highlander batters
of the game.
Rzepczynski scattered seven
hits and allowing three runs and three walks with seven strikeouts
but suffered his first loss of the season to fall to 5-1.
Leonard threw 130 pitches, 81 for strikes, while Rzepczynski
tossed 121 pitches, 73 for strikes.
Cal Poly scored twice in
the first inning and added an insurance run in the fifth.
In the first, Luke Yoder led off with a single to left, took
second on a balk and moved to third on Logan Schafer's groundout
to first base. After a walk to Grant Desme, Brent Morel singled
to left, scoring Yoder. Desme then came home on Kyle Smith's
grounder to second base.
Schafer singled with one
out in the fifth inning, took second on a wild pitch and,
after Desme was hit by a pitch, both runners moved up 90 feet
on another wild pitch. Kyle Carson's infield single to first
base scored Schafer.
Cal Poly outhit UC Riverside
6-3. All nine hits in the game were singles and no one collected
more than one hit for either team.
UCR had runners on first
and second with two outs in both the first and fifth innings
but were unable to advance them.
(April 22, 2007) - UC Riverside
overcame an 8-2 deficit with nine runs over the seventh and
eighth innings to defeat #29 Cal Poly in the final game of
a three-game Big West Conference baseball series Sunday afternoon
before 1,006 in Baggett Stadium. The Highlanders take their
first series against the Mustangs in six years to improve
to 23-16 overall, 4-2 in the Big West while Cal Poly falls
to 21-20 and 8-4 in conference play.
The two teams had combined
for seven runs in the first two games of the series -- UC
Riverside winning 3-1 Friday and Cal Poly taking a 3-0 victory
Saturday -- before the Highlanders and Mustangs erupted for
21 runs and 27 hits Sunday. The combined 21 runs are the most
in a UCR game this season.
UCR jumped out to a 2-0
lead in the top of the first on junior SS Jaime Pedroza's
two-run homer, his team-leading eight of the season. Cal Poly
then rattled off eight straight runs and built its 8-2 lead
in the first six innings as Mustang starter Thomas Eager was
working on a three-hitter.
Five runs in the Mustang
sixth was echoed in the next frame as the Highlanders broke
through for six runs on seven hits in the seventh, all with
two outs. Junior C Jeff Dunbar hit a two-run home run to ignite
the rally, with sophomore CF Carl Uhl and freshman RF Joey
Gonzales following with singles. Freshman DH Ryan Goetz and
Pedroza then connected on back-to-back run-scoring doubles
to pull within one and freshman 1B Mark Samuelson tied the
game at 8-8 with a single to right.
Cal Poly regained the lead
in the bottom of the seventh on Wes Dorrell's single to right
but UCR grabbed the lead for good with three runs in the eighth.
With the bases loaded and one out, Gonzales grounded out to
tie the game at 9-9 and senior 3B Kyle Barratt, who had doubled
earlier, scored on a wild pitch to break the tie. Goetz then
singled to center for an 11-9 Highlander advantage.
Brent Morel homered with
one out in the bottom of the eighth but the Mustangs could
not push across the tying run as freshman RHP Joe Kelly (1-1)
secured the final five outs for his first career win. The
fourth Highlander hurler of the game, Kelly pitched the last
three innings, giving up Morel's home run and three hits in
total while walking one and striking out two.
In the Mustang ninth, Bryan
Kepner was hit by a pitch with two outs and a runner at first.
But umpires ruled that Kepner made no attempt to get out of
the way of an inside fast ball and, after being called back
to the plate with a full count, he struck out swinging on
the next pitch to end the game.
The loss went to Grant
Theophilus (0-1) as he gave up two runs and one hit in a third
of an inning. Neither starter figured in the decision, with
Eager lasting 6 2/3 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits
with three walks and five strikeouts. UCR junior LHP Pat Cassa
went five innings, allowing six runs (five earned), eight
hits, and a walk.
Hitless in his previous
16 at-bats, Uhl was dropped from the leadoff spot for the
first time this season and responded, turning in his first
career four-hit game with a 4-for-4 effort out of the ninth
slot, scoring twice. Goetz and Pedroza each had a pair of
hits with three RBI while Samuelson also collected two hits
to go along with two RBI. Dunbar homered for the second time
in the series to drive in two.
Cal Poly was paced offensively
by Grant Desme with two hits and three RBI. Dorrell, Pezet
and Luke Yoder each had two hits for the Mustangs.
(April 24, 2007) - UC Riverside
won its second straight game against a ranked opponent, beating
#18 UCLA 3-1 on Tuesday night at the Riverside Sports Complex.
The Highlanders split the season series with the Bruins, improving
to 24-16 while UCLA falls to 22-17.
Much like UCLA's 3-2 victory
in Westwood back on February 13, this one was tight the whole
way and came down to the final batter. UCLA threatened in
the first, putting the first two runners on against junior
LHP Dan Runzler. Runzler came back to get the next two batters
to foul out and struck out Gabe Cohen with runners on second
and third to end the inning. The Highlanders wasted no time
in taking the lead, as junior SS Jaime Pedroza slammed a solo
home run to right, his ninth of the season, in the bottom
of the first for a 1-0 advantage.
UCLA starter Garett Claypool
left after walking Pedroza to lead off the fourth, going three
innings and allowing one run on two hits while walking one
and striking out two. On came Brendan Lafferty, who uncorked
a pair of wild pitches to move Pedroza to third but got out
of the jam by retiring the next three Highlanders.
The Bruins pulled even in
the fifth when Ryan Babineau singled with one out and advanced
to second on a throwing error by Pedroza. An infield groundout
moved Babineau to third and he came home on a single to right
by Alden Carrithers.
A pair of Bruin errors led
to the Highlanders regaining the lead in the sixth. With one
out, Pedroza walked and went to second on a single by freshman
1B Mark Samuelson. Junior LF Aaron Wible then hit a chopper
to Brandon Crawford at short but Crawford misplayed it into
the outfield, allowing Pedroza to score. After a groundout
for out number two, junior 2B Ben Price dribbled a ball wide
of the mound. Lafferty ranged over but could not snare the
ball, allowing Samuelson to score to make it 3-1.
It stayed that way through
until the ninth, when UCLA twice had the tying run at the
plate. Freshman RHP Joe Kelly came on after sophomore RHP
Matt Montgomery gave up a lead-off single to Cohen. Kelly
got Will Penniall to ground into a double play, UCR's third
of the day, to erase the runners but then walked Mickey Weisser
to again bring up the tying run in the form of Justin Uribe.
Uribe smacked a hard grounder down to third but right to senior
3B Kyle Barratt, who threw across the diamond to end the game.
Montgomery (1-0) got the
win, tossing three innings of two-hit ball with a strikeout.
Runzler went five innings and gave up one unearned run on
seven hits. Kelly earned his third save.
Lafferty (3-1) was tagged
with the loss, allowing a pair of unearned runs on a single
hit over 2 2/3 innings. Kevin Brophy was the third UCLA pitcher
used, going the final 2 1/3 innings without giving up a hit.
The Highlanders managed
three hits - two by Samuelson and the home run by Pedroza,
who also walked twice. Babineau had three hits to lead the
Bruins.
(April 27, 2007) - Junior
LF Aaron Wible hit a walk-off single as UC Riverside rallied
for two runs in the ninth to defeat #14 Cal State Fullerton
3-2 in the opener of a three-game Big West Conference series
Friday night at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders
improve to 25-16, 5-2 Big West while the Titans see their
eight-game winning streak snapped to fall to 27-13, 7-3.
The season-high crowd of
848 came to see a match-up of two of the top pitchers in the
Big West, UCR junior RHP James Simmons and Fullerton junior
RHP Wes Roemer, and were not disappointed as each went the
distance. Simmons (9-2) tossed his conference-leading fifth
complete game of the season, allowing two runs on eight hits.
He struck out eight without walking a batter, throwing 118
pitches, 84 for strikes.
Roemer's numbers were just
as impressive, going eight innings in which he gave up three
runs on eight hits to fall to 6-5. He walked two and struck
out seven, throwing 104 pitches, 68 for strikes. Both pitchers
found their grooves in the middle innings with Simmons retiring
seven in a row from the second until the fourth. Roemer, on
the other hand, set down nine straight from the third to the
sixth and faced one over the minimum between the second and
eighth.
Ultimately, it came down
to the ninth, with the Titans manufacturing the go-ahead run
in the top of the inning. Matt Wallach led off the ninth with
a double high off the wall in center. Evan McArthur then tried
a sacrifice bunt, sending it back to Simmons. The pitcher
caught Wallach scrambling back off second but his throw was
late, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Corey
Jones was successful in moving the runners over with a sacrifice
bunt and Joe Scott followed with a safety squeeze to give
the Titans a 2-1 lead. Clark Hardman popped up to end the
inning.
UCR's game-winning rally
opened when freshman RF Joey Gonzales beat out an infield
single to short. Gonzales then got a jump on Roemer to steal
second, diving in just ahead of the throw from catcher John
Curtis. The Highlanders elected not to bunt with junior SS
Jaime Pedroza, the team's RBI leader, at the plate and the
move paid off as Pedroza walked on Roemer's 100th pitch of
the evening. That brought up freshman 1B Mark Samuelson, who
sliced Roemer's 101st pitch for a double down the left field
line, scoring Gonzales with the tying run. With both the infield
and outfield playing in, Wible then sent an 0-2 fastball to
the warning track in center for the winning hit.
Wible finished the day 2-for-4
with a run scored, as did Gonzales. Freshman DH Ryan Goetz
went 2-for-3 with an RBI while Pedroza reached three times
on a first-inning double and a pair of walks.
Hardman was 2-for-5 with
an RBI while Nick Mahin also had two hits for the Titans.
Simmons worked his way out
of jams in the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. In
the second, Mahin led off with a single then stole second
and advanced to third on a throwing error by junior C Jeff
Dunbar. Facing a runner at third and no out, Simmons got Wallach
to foul out, then struck out McArthur, and forced Jones into
a fly out.
That was the break UCR needed
as Wible led of the home half of the second with a single,
then motored all the way around on Goetz's double to left-center,
diving headfirst into home to beat the throw.
The Titans came back with
a run in the fifth to tie the game. Jones hit a one-out double
that sneaked inside the first base line and he came home two
batters later when Hardman chopped a single through the right
side. Fullerton put two runners on with one out in the sixth
but Simmons bore down, getting Wallach to pop up foul to third
and McArthur to fly to left. Simmons and Roemer matched zeroes
on the scoreboard over the next three innings, setting up
the dramatic ninth.
(April 28, 2007) - Senior
LHP Marc Rzepczynski did not allow a runner to reach second
in a complete-game three-hitter to lift UC Riverside over
#14 Cal State Fullerton 3-0 Saturday night in front of 702
fans at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders win
their third consecutive Big West Conference home series against
the Titans to improve to 26-16, 6-2 Big West while the Titans
fall to 27-14, 7-4.
The pitcher's duel from
Friday night carried over into Saturday's game as Rzepczynski
and CSUF's Jeff Kaplan matched zeroes over the first five
innings. Rzepczynski faced two over the minimum through the
first four innings while Kaplan carried a no-hitter into the
fourth. The Highlanders put runners on first and second in
the fourth but Kaplan got out of it with a double play ball.
UCR threatened again with
two outs in the fifth as Kaplan issued back-to-back walks
but came back to strike out junior C Jeff Dunbar to end the
inning. In the meantime, Rzepczynski was cruising, getting
nine groundball outs and six strikeouts through six innings
before the Titans managed to hit a fly ball to the outfield.
The Highlanders got all
their offense in the sixth, finally breaking through against
Kaplan with three runs in the frame. Sophomore CF Carl Uhl
led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a groundout
to second by freshman RF Joey Gonzales. After an intentional
walk to junior SS Jaime Pedroza, Kaplan uncorked a wild pitch
on a 2-0 count to freshman 1B Mark Samuelson, bringing home
Uhl with the game's first run. Pedroza went all the way from
first to third on the wild pitch and came home on the next
pitch when Samuelson delivered a sacrifice fly to center.
Junior LF Aaron Wible, who won Friday's game with a single
in the ninth, followed with a solo home run that hugged the
foul line before disappearing over the netting in left field.
It was Wible's seventh home run of the season.
Rzepczynski (6-1) continued
to sail through the Titan lineup, retiring 10 straight hitters
from the fifth through eighth innings until Clark Hardman's
high infield chopper to lead off the ninth. He came back to
strike out Evan McArthur and Khris Davis lined out to right
before John Curtis grounded out to second to end the game.
It was Rzepczynski's second consecutive complete game and
third of the season as he finished with nine strikeouts and
one walk. He faced just four batters over the minimum.
Kaplan (7-3) suffered the
loss, giving up all three runs on four hits and four walks
while striking out six. Paul Canedo allowed one hit in an
inning of work.
Pedroza was 2-for-2 with
two walks and a run scored and has reached base in seven of
his eight plate appearances in the series. Uhl also had a
pair of hits at the top of the order.
Hardman, Nick Mahin, and
Corey Jones each had one hit for Fullerton, who has lost seven
of eight in Riverside at the Division I level.
(April 29, 2007) - UC Riverside
completed its sweep over #14 Cal State Fullerton with a 5-4
victory in a Big West Conference game Sunday afternoon in
front of 602 fans at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders
win their fifth in a row, all against ranked opponents, to
improve to 27-16, 7-2 Big West while the Titans drop to 27-15,
7-5.
The low-scoring affairs
of Friday and Saturday nights gave way to an explosive first
inning that featured three home runs: one by the Titans and
two from the Highlanders. Nick Mahin gave Cal State Fullerton
a 1-0 lead with a two-out solo homer to left but the home
side came back in the bottom of the frame with three runs.
With a runner on first and one out, junior SS Jaime Pedroza
deposited the first pitch he saw from Michael Morrison over
the fence in right for a 2-1 Highlander lead. Four pitches
later, freshman 1B Mark Samuelson crushed a 2-1 fastball over
the high wall in centerfield for UCR's first back-to-back
dingers of the season.
UCR's offense just kept
hitting against Morrison as consecutive singles by senior
3B Kyle Barratt and junior C Jeff Dunbar opened the second
and freshman RF Joey Gonzales made it 4-1 with a double into
the left-center gap. That marked the end of the day for Morrison,
who left after getting just four outs. On came Dustin Birosak,
who struck out Pedroza but then let loose on a wild pitch
to score Dunbar for a 5-1 UCR advantage.
Doubles by Evan McArthur
and Chris Jones, followed by a single by Matt Wallach brought
home a pair of runs for the Titans in fourth, pulling them
back to 5-3. In the fifth, a single by Corey Jones and double
by Joe Scott put runners on second and third with no outs,
ending the day for UCR starter senior LHP Pat Cassa. He was
replaced by junior LHP Dan Runzler, who fell behind Clark
Hardman 3-0 before coming back to strike him out. Runzler
got out of the jam and preserved the lead by striking out
Evan McArthur and getting Mahin to fly out to the warning
track in center.
Fullerton drew back to 5-4
in the seventh thanks to some opportune baserunning. Scott
was hit by a pitch leading off and, two batters later, advanced
to second on a walk to McArthur. Thinking that McArthur had
gone around far enough on a 3-2 check-swing, Dunbar threw
down to second but the ball went into center field, allowing
Scott to advance to third. Sophomore RHP Matt Montgomery relieved
Runzler and got what he thought was an inning-ending double
play but UCR only managed the out at second as Scott raced
home from third. Montgomery struck out pinch-hitter John Curtis
for the third out.
Montgomery left after giving
up a one-out double to Wallach in the eighth. With a well-rested
bullpen, UCR turned to closer freshman RHP Joe Kelly. The
Highlander defense took over to help Kelly out of the inning
as junior LF Aaron Wible and sophomore CF Carl Uhl each tracked
down long fly balls with nice running grabs.
Kelly came out in the ninth
and closed the door on the Titans for his fourth save of the
season. Runzler (3-6) picked up the win, tossing 2 1/3 innings
of no-hit relief. He allowed one unearned run on two walks
while striking out four.
The sweep was UCR's second
over the Titans at the Division I level as they improve to
8-1 at home against them. Barratt was 2-for-3 to lead the
Highlanders with Pedroza picking up a pair of RBI.
Morrison (5-2) was tagged
with the loss, giving up five runs on six hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Birosak and Adam Jorgenson held UCR to one hit over the remainder
of the game but the damage had already been done. Scott and
Wallach both had two hits for the visitors.
(April 30, 2007) - UC Riverside’s
Jaime Pedroza and Marc Rzepczynski guided UC Riverside to
a 4-0 week against nationally ranked opponents and a top-25
ranking to sweep Easton Big West Player and Pitcher of the
Week accolades for the second time this year. This marks both
Pedroza and Rzepczynski’s second weekly honor of the
season.
Pedroza, a junior shortstop,
opened the week with a solo home run in the first inning against
# 18 UCLA and went on to score the game-winning run in a 3-1
victory. On Friday against 14th-ranked Cal State Fullerton,
he again scored the game-winning run, this time in the bottom
of the ninth in a 3-2 win. In Saturday’s 3-0 victory,
Pedroza went 2-for-2 with two walks, and scored a run. He
ended the week with a first-inning two-run home run to give
UCR a 2-1 lead that the Highlanders would never relinquish,
as they went on to down the Titans, 5-4. For the week, the
Covina, CA, native went 5-for-10 (.500) with six walks, scoring
five runs and three RBI. He slugged 1.200 and had an on-base
percentage of .688.
On Saturday, Rzepczynski
had the best start of his career as the senior southpaw tossed
a complete-game shutout against the Titans in the series-clinching
3-0 win. The Yorba Linda, CA, native was dominant all evening,
finishing with one walk and nine strikeouts and scattering
three hits. While facing just four over the minimum, Rzepczynski
threw 118 pitches, 78 for strikes, for his second consecutive
complete game and fifth of the season. He retired 10 straight
from the fifth through the eighth inning and did not allow
a runner to reach second.
This is the second time
this season that the Highlanders swept the baseball weekly
awards, after junior LF Aaron Wible was player of the week
and junior RHP James Simmons was co-pitcher of the week on
April 9. Pedroza was previously honored this season on March
19 and leads UCR this season in batting average (.337), hits
(57), doubles (12), home runs (10), runs batted in (40), and
slugging percentage (.598). Rzepczynski was also honored earlier
this season, on March 12, and is 6-1 with a 2.84 earned run
average. He has 77 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings.
Thanks to its five-game
winning streak, UCR has re-entered the national polls, coming
in at #16 accoring to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and at
#25 in the Baseball America poll. The Highlanders are also
receiving votes in the USA Today/ESPN and Rivals.com polls.
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