Sunday, March 2
Bakersfield, CA
12:00 pm
UC Riverside
5-5
4
at
3
Cal State Bakersfield
5-5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Riverside | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| Bakersfield | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 1 |
Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta
Nick Vilter Continues Torrid Start, Blasts Sixth Homer, Drives In Five In Double Header Sweep of Bakersfield
3/2/2014 6:47:00 PM | Baseball
Bakersfield, CA—UC Riverside shortstop Nick Vilter continued his torrid start to the 2014 season blasting his sixth home run of the season and driving in all four Highlanders' runs in a 4-3 win over Bakersfield in game one of a Sunday double header (Game 1 Box Score).
The Seal Beach, California native came into the year with two home runs in 241 career at bats, but in 2014 he has turned into Baby Ruth incarnate. Following Sunday's first game, Vilter now has six long balls in 36 at bats this season—an average of one every six at bats.
Six of the nine teams in the Big West Conference have yet to hit six home runs as a team this year.
In each of the past three seasons, the Highlanders home run leader has finished a full 54-game campaign with just four homers.
Vilter is now hitting .444 with a .524 on base percentage and a 1,056 slugging percentage.
GAME 1 RECAP
Head Coach Doug Smith moved Vilter up to fifth in the batting order this weekend, and the junior came to the plate in the top of the first Sunday with two outs and runners on first and second. With one swing of the bat, Vilter put the Highlanders on top 3-0.
Ben Doucette got the start for UC Riverside, and he was working out of trouble for most of his three-plus innings. The Roadrunners loaded the bases with two outs in the first thanks in part to a pair of Doucette free passes. He struck out Garrett Pierce for the final out of the inning to keep Bakersfield off the board.
The next inning, Doucette gave up a lead-off triple to Chance Gusbeth, but Matt Ellis picked him off third during the next at bat. It was a good thing he did, because the next batter, Soloman Williams, singled up the middle for what would have been the Runners first run of the game.
Bakersfield finally got on the board in the bottom of the third putting runners on first and second with two outs on a walk and a single through the left side. Gusbeth beat out his second triple of the game, and the Runners cut the UC Riverside lead to one, 3-2.
Angel Landazuri came on in relief of Doucette in the fourth, and he worked ut of bases loaded jams in the fourth and fifth innings.
Vilter came to the plate in the Highlanders half of the fifth with one out and runners on second and third. His grounder to short scored Devyn Bolasky with what would prove to be an important insurance run.
Landazuri put up a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the sixth, and stranded two base runners in the seventh, but in the eighth he gave up a lead-off, pinch-hit home run to Nick Vehlewald that once again cut the UC Riverside advantage to one. He gave up two more singles before giving way to Kevin Sprague.
Sprague struck out Logan Trowbridge and got Mylz Jones to ground out to second. Following an intentional walk to Gusbeth, we got Williams to ground to short for the third out of the inning. He retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth punctuated by a game-ending strikeout of Andrew Lojewski.
Landazuri (2-0) was credited with the victory while Sprague earned his first save of the season.
GAME TWO RECAP
The Highlanders completed the sweep of the Roadrunners in the nightcap, and Vilter was once again in the middle of UC Riverside's offensive efforts. Although he didn't hit any home runs, he reached base in all five of his plate appearances with a single, a hit by pitch and three walks, one of which was intentional.
The hit batsman came on a 2-2 pitch with two outs in the top of the ninth and the teams deadlocked at six apiece. Vilter scampered to second on a wild pitch, and Drake Zarate's single down the left field line brought him plateward with what would prove to be the game-winning run (Game 2 Box Score).
The Highlanders jumped out on top early in game two Sunday. Joe Chavez drew a five-pitch walk to start the game and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Francisco Tellez drew a four-pitch walk, and another wild pitch moved both runners up 90 feet. Devyn Bolasky then doubled to left scoring Chavez and Tellez, and one batter later, Vilter singled up the middle to make it 3-0 Highlanders.
Antonio Gonzales was on the hill for UC Riverside, and the Runners touched him for three runs in the bottom of the first thanks to a single, two walks, a triple and a wild pitch. Gonzales settled down in the second retiring the side in order, and the Highlanders regained the lead the next inning, loading the bases before scoring on a balk by relief pitcher Garrett Nimmo.
The Roadrunners got that run back in the bottom of the third, however, sandwiching a pair of two-out singles around a walk. Gonzales was lifted in that inning for Angel Lingos, who got the final out of the frame on a line out to first.
Lingos issued a lead-off walk to Ross Hough to start the bottom of the fourth, and Coach Smith made the call to the pen once again, this time summoning Dyan Staurt. The senior left-hander struggled in his last outing vs. San Diego State, allowing three hits and two runs in two-thirds of an inning of work, but he picked up the win Sunday allowing just four hits in six innings of relief.
After a sac bunt moved Hough to second, Max Carter ripped a single to left scoring Hough and putting Bakersfield back on top, 5-4. UCR bounced back the next half inning with a two-out rally, as David Andriese singled through the right side and moved to second on a passed ball. Vilter was intentionally walked, and Zarate singled scoring Andriese.
The see saw battle continued as the Highlanders went back on top in the top of the sixth. Cody Hough singled up the middle, moved to second on a sac bunt and scored on a Chavez single to center. The Roadrunners weren't done, however, as in the bottom of the eighth, they took advantage of a pair of singles and a Stuart fielding error to knot the score at six setting the stage for Vilter in the ninth.
UC Riverside remains on the road this week as the Highlanders travel to UNLV for a 3 pm PT first pitch on Monday, March 3.
The Seal Beach, California native came into the year with two home runs in 241 career at bats, but in 2014 he has turned into Baby Ruth incarnate. Following Sunday's first game, Vilter now has six long balls in 36 at bats this season—an average of one every six at bats.
Six of the nine teams in the Big West Conference have yet to hit six home runs as a team this year.
In each of the past three seasons, the Highlanders home run leader has finished a full 54-game campaign with just four homers.
Vilter is now hitting .444 with a .524 on base percentage and a 1,056 slugging percentage.
GAME 1 RECAP
Head Coach Doug Smith moved Vilter up to fifth in the batting order this weekend, and the junior came to the plate in the top of the first Sunday with two outs and runners on first and second. With one swing of the bat, Vilter put the Highlanders on top 3-0.
Ben Doucette got the start for UC Riverside, and he was working out of trouble for most of his three-plus innings. The Roadrunners loaded the bases with two outs in the first thanks in part to a pair of Doucette free passes. He struck out Garrett Pierce for the final out of the inning to keep Bakersfield off the board.
The next inning, Doucette gave up a lead-off triple to Chance Gusbeth, but Matt Ellis picked him off third during the next at bat. It was a good thing he did, because the next batter, Soloman Williams, singled up the middle for what would have been the Runners first run of the game.
Bakersfield finally got on the board in the bottom of the third putting runners on first and second with two outs on a walk and a single through the left side. Gusbeth beat out his second triple of the game, and the Runners cut the UC Riverside lead to one, 3-2.
Angel Landazuri came on in relief of Doucette in the fourth, and he worked ut of bases loaded jams in the fourth and fifth innings.
Vilter came to the plate in the Highlanders half of the fifth with one out and runners on second and third. His grounder to short scored Devyn Bolasky with what would prove to be an important insurance run.
Landazuri put up a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the sixth, and stranded two base runners in the seventh, but in the eighth he gave up a lead-off, pinch-hit home run to Nick Vehlewald that once again cut the UC Riverside advantage to one. He gave up two more singles before giving way to Kevin Sprague.
Sprague struck out Logan Trowbridge and got Mylz Jones to ground out to second. Following an intentional walk to Gusbeth, we got Williams to ground to short for the third out of the inning. He retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth punctuated by a game-ending strikeout of Andrew Lojewski.
Landazuri (2-0) was credited with the victory while Sprague earned his first save of the season.
GAME TWO RECAP
The Highlanders completed the sweep of the Roadrunners in the nightcap, and Vilter was once again in the middle of UC Riverside's offensive efforts. Although he didn't hit any home runs, he reached base in all five of his plate appearances with a single, a hit by pitch and three walks, one of which was intentional.
The hit batsman came on a 2-2 pitch with two outs in the top of the ninth and the teams deadlocked at six apiece. Vilter scampered to second on a wild pitch, and Drake Zarate's single down the left field line brought him plateward with what would prove to be the game-winning run (Game 2 Box Score).
The Highlanders jumped out on top early in game two Sunday. Joe Chavez drew a five-pitch walk to start the game and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Francisco Tellez drew a four-pitch walk, and another wild pitch moved both runners up 90 feet. Devyn Bolasky then doubled to left scoring Chavez and Tellez, and one batter later, Vilter singled up the middle to make it 3-0 Highlanders.
Antonio Gonzales was on the hill for UC Riverside, and the Runners touched him for three runs in the bottom of the first thanks to a single, two walks, a triple and a wild pitch. Gonzales settled down in the second retiring the side in order, and the Highlanders regained the lead the next inning, loading the bases before scoring on a balk by relief pitcher Garrett Nimmo.
The Roadrunners got that run back in the bottom of the third, however, sandwiching a pair of two-out singles around a walk. Gonzales was lifted in that inning for Angel Lingos, who got the final out of the frame on a line out to first.
Lingos issued a lead-off walk to Ross Hough to start the bottom of the fourth, and Coach Smith made the call to the pen once again, this time summoning Dyan Staurt. The senior left-hander struggled in his last outing vs. San Diego State, allowing three hits and two runs in two-thirds of an inning of work, but he picked up the win Sunday allowing just four hits in six innings of relief.
After a sac bunt moved Hough to second, Max Carter ripped a single to left scoring Hough and putting Bakersfield back on top, 5-4. UCR bounced back the next half inning with a two-out rally, as David Andriese singled through the right side and moved to second on a passed ball. Vilter was intentionally walked, and Zarate singled scoring Andriese.
The see saw battle continued as the Highlanders went back on top in the top of the sixth. Cody Hough singled up the middle, moved to second on a sac bunt and scored on a Chavez single to center. The Roadrunners weren't done, however, as in the bottom of the eighth, they took advantage of a pair of singles and a Stuart fielding error to knot the score at six setting the stage for Vilter in the ninth.
UC Riverside remains on the road this week as the Highlanders travel to UNLV for a 3 pm PT first pitch on Monday, March 3.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Landazuri, Angel (2-0)
L: Davis (1-1)
S: Sprague, Kevin (1)
Batting:
HR: Vilter, Nick 1
RBI: Vilter, Nick 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Tellez, Francisco 1 ; Bolasky, Devyn 2 ; Vilter, Nick 1
SB: Bolasky, Devyn 2 ; Andriese, David 2 ; Vilter, Nick 1
HBP: Tellez, Francisco 1 ; Andriese, David 1
Batting:
3B: Gusbeth 2
HR: Vehlewald 1
RBI: Vehlewald 1 ; Gusbeth 2
SH: Metzgar 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vehlewald 1 ; Sanay 1 ; Pierce 1
HBP: Hein 2
PO: Gusbeth 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
4
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
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