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(March 1, 2008)
- Sophomore Marissa Alvidrez homered and struck out seven
in six innings of relief to lead the Highlanders to a 10-9,
nine inning win over Binghamton in UCR's final game at the
UTEP tournament in El Paso, TX Sunday morning. Junior Katie
Cutis doubled home Alvidrez with two outs in the bottom of
the ninth to pick up the victory for the Highlanders (7-13).
UCR struck
first with a run in the first as senior Roni Yee drew a walk
to open the inning. Yee then was awarded home after three
straight Binghamton illegal pitches were called and the Highlanders
jumped out to a 1-0 lead.
The Bearcats
answered with two runs off of Riverside senior starter Christin
Songer in the second, but UCR put up a runs in the next two
innings to regain the lead, 3-2 after three complete. Junior
Krystal Marquez opened the Highlander second with a double
and later came home on another Binghamton illegal pitch. Curtis
picked up her first RBI of the game with a one-out double
to bring home junior Tricia Adgar who was running for Alvidrez
after she had singled to lead off the inning.
BU again rallied
back with four runs in the fourth on a two-run homer and two-run
double to take a 6-3 lead after four and a half. Things would
slow down as the teams held each other scoreless until the
Highlanders came to bat in the seventh.
Yee started
the rally by earning a one-out walk. Junior Tiana Towns then
reached on an error to allow Alvidrez to come to the plate
as the tying run. Alvidrez then launched her fourth big fly
of the season, tying the game at 6-6 and sending the two teams
in to extra innings.
The Bearcats
produced a three-run eighth, using four hits in the inning
with the big blow coming on a pop-fly single that dropped
in down the right field line. Two runs came across on the
bloop to put Binghamton up 9-6.
The young
and improved Highlander squad again fought back, answering
with a three spot of their own in the bottom of the inning.
Freshman Taylor Thomas singled to left to bring home the first
run of the inning. Marquez followed up freshman Kameryn Hebenton's
sacrifice bunt with a RBI base-hit of her own to score senior
pinch-runner Cassie Greenawalt from third and cut it to 9-8.
The very next batter in Yee, capped the Highlander rally with
a sacrifice fly to bring home Towns and tied it at 9-9.
Alvidrez set
the Bearcats down in order in the ninth, striking out the
first two and then getting a popup to set up the ninth-inning
drama for UCR.
With Towns
placed at second, playing international rules, Alvidrez smacked
a single up the middle to put runners on first and third for
senior Kristie Martinez. Martinez then flew out to centerfield
which brought home Towns for the would-be game-winner. But
the umpires ruled that Towns had left early and awarded Binghamton
a double play. UCR might have been looking ahead to a possible
10th inning but lost in the play was the heads up baserunning
by Alvidrez who had tagged up from first and moved into scoring
position at second base. Curtis stepped up in the clutch,
lining a double down the left field line, bringing home Alvidrez
for the 10-9 win.
Alvidrez (1-4)
picked up the win while recording four hits, driving in two,
and scoring two runs. Curtis and Marquez each had two hits
with Curtis also adding two RBI.
The Highlanders return home to host Notre
Dame for a single game on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.
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