Softball Concludes Mizuno Invitational With 9-1 And 2-1 Wins Over Southern Utah

Monday, March 11

Riverside, CA

1:30 pm

UC Riverside

10-13

Southern Utah

4-15

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Southern Utah	0	0	0	0	1	1	6	1
UC Riverside	0	6	0	2	1	9	9	0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Southern Utah	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	2	0
UC Riverside	0	0	0	1	0	1	X	2	7	1

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Softball Concludes Mizuno Invitational With 9-1 And 2-1 Wins Over Southern Utah

3/11/2013 5:17:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Box Score—UC Riverside 9, Southern Utah 1 (5 innings)

Box Score—UC Riverside 2, Southern Utah 1

Watch the video recap

Riverside, CA—The UC Riverside Softball Team concluded the Mizuno Invitational Monday afternoon with 9-1 and 2-1 wins in a doubleheader against Southern Utah at Amy S. Harrison Field.

In the first game, UCR starting pitcher Taylor Alvarez worked her way out of a jam in the top of the first, as the Thunderbirds loaded the bases with one out. She settled down after that, scattering just three hits the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, the HIghlanders opened up the game with a six-spot in the second inning, benefiting from five hits.

Kayla White led things off with a walk and stole second, and advanced to third on Natalie Sanchez's bunt single. Brittanie Akey then doubled down the left field line to drive in both runs.

After an out, Nicolette Lujan was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second, and Dionne Anderson laced a double to right center, scoring both runners.

Anderson then stole third, and was brought home by Ariel Shore's bunt single. After Shore stole second, Alexis Pickett continued the Highlanders hot hitting with a single up the middle to score Shore, making it a 6-0 ballgame.

After a scoreless third, the Highlanders used a two-out rally to score two additional runs in the fourth inning. Anderson hit an infield single, and stole both second and third base as Shore's single up the middle brought her home. Shore then stole second, and came around to score as Pickett reached on a dropped ball in the outfield.

Southern Utah got one run back in the top of the fifth, as Kelli Hales led off with a single to right center, and scored on Kelsey Bryant's RBI single to left field.

But UC Riverside responded in the bottom of that frame as White singled to lead off the inning, stole second, moved to third on a ground out by Sanchez, and scored on a wild pitch. That made it a 9-1 ballgame, and gave the Highlanders the eight-run, mercy-rule victory in five innings.

In the second game, UCR starting pitcher Ashley Ercolano had a perfect game through three innings, but the T-Birds got a hit in the fourth inning, and loaded the bases before scoring on a sac fly to go up 1-0.

The Highlanders got that run back in the bottom of that inning, as with runners at second and third, Akey's RBI ground out plated the tying run, 1-1.

In the sixth, UCR scored the go-ahead run taking a 2-1 lead. Ercolano helped her own cause as she singled to lead off the frame, and was sacrificed over to second by a bunt from White.

Ercolano was replaced on the basepaths by pinch runner Sophie Slagle, and Sanchez drove her in with a single to right center.

Southern Utah put the tying run on base and the winning run at the plate in the seventh, but Ercolano and the Highlanders defense got out of the inning unscathed to hold on for the one-run victory.

The Highlanders are back in action in just two days, hosting Bethune-Cookman for a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 13 beginning at 1 pm PT at Amy S. Harrison Field.