Riverside—The UC Riverside Baseball Team snapped an eight-game losing streak Friday night, and evened its three-game series against Hawai'i with a 9-2 victory over the Rainbow Warriors.
On Thursday evening, UC Riverside banged out 11 hits, but managed just two runs in a 4-2 loss to Hawai'i. The Highlanders ran into some tough luck in the first two innings Friday as well, as they got the lead off batter on in both frames, but failed to score.
That changed in the bottom of the third, however, as Mark Contreras drew a one-out walk, and moved to third on a Colby Schultz single to center. Schultz advanced to second as the throw from the outfield went to third, giving UC Riverside two runners in scoring position. They didn't stay there for long, as Cody Sporrer reached on a fielding error by the Hawai'i shortstop, driving in Contreras, and Casey Worden lifted a sac fly to center, giving UC Riverside a 2-0 lead.
After allowing a first inning walk, and a single, UCR starter Ryan Lillie (1-4) retired 12 straight batters. The Rainbow Warriors' Alex Fitchett ended that streak when he turned on the first pitch he saw in the top of the fifth, sending it two thirds of the way up the netting in left field for his third homer of the season.
The Highlanders (13-17, 2-5) didn't waste any time in getting the run back in their half of the inning. The meat of the UCR order was in the middle of things again, with Schultz getting things started with a one-out walk. He then stole second to move into scoring position. A Sporrer ground out to the pitcher moved Schultz to third, and Worden singled to center to drive in his second run of the night.
Hawai'i (20-12, 2-3) threatened again on the sixth, putting runners at second and third with one out, but Lillie struck out his sixth batter of the evening for out number two, and got a fly ball to center to retire the side.
UC Riverside put another crooked number up on the board in the bottom of the sixth thanks in part to a Rainbow Warriors' miscue. Connor Cannon hit a grounder to third with one out, and Hawai'i third baseman Josh Rojas sailed the throw past the first baseman and down into the Rainbow Warriors' bullpen, allowing Cannon to move to second. Tony Gudino then drew a six-pitch walk, and Michael Farris launched a three-run homer over the netting in left.
Hawai'i picked up another run in the seventh thanks to a pair of UCR errors. They nearly plated several more, putting runners on second and third with one out, and the second and third batters in their lineup coming to bat. But Lillie struck out Dustin Demeter and Kekai Rios to maintain the Highlanders' four-run advantage.
UC Riverside got to the Hawai'i bullpen again in the bottom of the eighth, scoring three unearned runs to push the UCR lead to seven, 9-2.
Hazahel Quijada and AJ Sawyer combined to keep the Rainbow Warriors off the board in the eighth and ninth to seal the victory.
UCR and Hawai'i play game three of their three-game series Saturday beginning at 1 pm PT.
