Baseball's Defensive Miscues Hand San Diego 13-8 Victory

Tuesday, March 25

Riverside, CA

6:00 pm

UC Riverside

11-10

San Diego

16-8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
San Diego	0	0	2	3	0	0	0	3	5	13	13	2
UC Riverside	0	2	0	0	0	2	1	3	0	8	16	6

Photo by: UCR Athletics Media Relations

Baseball's Defensive Miscues Hand San Diego 13-8 Victory

3/25/2014 10:15:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Riverside—The UC Riverside Baseball Team outhit San Diego 15-13 Tuesday evening at The Plex, but the Highlanders defense committed six errors leading to seven unearned runs in an 13-8 loss to the Toreros (Box Score/Watch Video).

Antonio Gonzales got the start for the Highlanders, and despite issuing a pair of walks in the first, kept San Diego off the board in the first two innings of play.

Meanwhile UC Riverside sent Toreros starter Anthony McIver to an early shower. After stranding two runners in the first, the Highlanders put a pair of runs on the board on the bottom of the second. Alex Rubanowitz ripped a one-out single through the right side, and Thomas Walker drew a walk.

A balk moved both runners up 90 feet, and Matt Ellis laced a single to center making it 1-0 UC Riverside. That ended McIver's day as Lucas Long came on in relief. Pinch-hitter Drake Zarate drew a walk to load the bases, and Joe Chavez drew a free pass as well to force Walker home and put the Highlanders up by two.

The Toreros tied the score in the top of the third without the benefit of a hit. Gonzales plunked Kyle Holder to lead off the inning, and Grant Melker tried to sacrifice him to second with a bunt to the first base side of the pitcher's mound. Gonzales' throw to first was off the mark, however, and the ball made its way into the Toreros' bullpen down the right field line.

David Andriese picked up the loose ball and fired fired it towards the infield, but Francisco Tellez couldn't handle the throw, and it bounced towards the pitchers' mound. That allowed Holder to come all the way around to score, and Melker to advance to third. Conner Joe then lifted a sacrifice fly to right tying the score.

Angel Landuzuri took over for Gonzales on the mound to start the fourth, and he gave up a lead-off double to left by Jesse Jenner. He then plunked Austin Bailey to put runners on first and second, and gave up an RBI double to Louie Lechich which put the Toreros on top, 3-2.

Pinch-hitter Hunter Mercado-Hood then hit a grounder between second and first, that Joe Chavez was able to get to, but his throw was wide of first, and two runners scored to make it 5-3 San Diego.

Meanwhile, Long kept the Highlanders off the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth. Andriese led off the inning with a single through the right side, and Nick Vilter doubled to left cut the lead to two. One out later, Thomas Walker traded places with Vilter with his own double down the left field line to make it 5-4.

Max MacNabb replaced Long on the hill to face pinch hitter Shuyo Chang who singled to right. The Highlanders sent Walker home on the play, but the throw beat him to the plate to keep it a one-run game.

UC Riverside picked up the tying run one inning later when Vilter's base hit to left scored Tellez from second.

It didn't take long for San Diego to regain the lead as in the top of the eighth, they strung together a hit batter and a pair of singles to make it 6-5 Toreros. With runners at first and second, Holder hit a grounder to short for what should have been the final out of the inning, but Vilter's throw was in the dirt and got by Tellez at first allowing two more runs to score.

The Highlanders weren't done, though, as they put up a three spot of their own in the bottom of the eighth, and nearly took the lead. Robby Witt fielder's choice and a Tellez sacrifice fly brought two runs home. Bolasky then reached on a fielder's choice scoring Witt with the tying run. Two batters later, the bases were loaded for Rubanowitz, and he hit a liner towards first, but Connor Joe made a diving grab to keep the score tied.

Joie Dunyon was on the mound for UCR to start the ninth, after coming on with two outs in the eighth. but he gave up back-to-back singles and gave way to Kevin Sprague. Sprague picked up an out on a fly ball to center, but both runners moved up a base on the play, and he intentionally walked Jesse Jenner to load the bases.

Bailey followed with a single to left scoring a pair, and a throwing error by Robaunowitz on a double steal allowed both runners to advance. A sac fly by Lechich put the Toreros up three, and an infield single by Conner Jauch made it 12-8 San Diego. Following a walk to Holder, a single to center by Melker ended the scoring for the night.

The Highlanders travel to UC Irvine this weekend to start Big West Conference play with a three-game series against the Anteaters. You can listen to all the action as the Voice of the Highlanders, Ghizal Hasan, brings the call to gohighlanders.com.