Friday, May 12
UC Riverside
4
vs
9
Cal State Northridge
Errors Doom Highlanders
5/12/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
UC Riverside committed four errors that led to four Matador runs as Cal State Northridge posted a 9-4 victory Friday night in a Big West Conference game at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders fall to 24-21, 5-8 BWC, while the Matadors improve to 24-23, 5-8 BWC.
UCR took the lead in the bottom of the second when sophomore 2B Drew Garcia doubled to right field with two outs. On the next play, sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza singled to right. CSUN rightfielder Paul Wilson came up throwing and had Garcia gunned down at the plate but catcher Steve Lemmon went low to tag the runner as Garcia leaped over his glove, touching home as he slid by.
CSUN wasted no time in answering, pulling even in the top of the third. Raymond Ravago led off with a single and was sacrificed to second, scoring two batters later on a single by Kris Kasarjian. The Matadors then blew the game open with eight runs over the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. In the sixth, Northridge had runners at first and second with two outs before UCR sophomore starter James Simmons hit Erik Hagstrom. Wilson followed with a two-run bases-loaded single that made it 3-1.
Things began to unravel for Simmons in the seventh. After a lead-off double by Johnny Coit, Jonathan Sakurai layed down a sacrifice bunt that senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer threw away, allowing Coit to score and sending Sakurai to third. Simmons then hit Kasarjian before giving up a run-scoring single to Lemmon. A wild pitch put runners on second and third with no outs but Simmons settled down, retiring the next three batters without any further damage.
UCR rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, all with two outs. Senior RF Aaron Grant started the rally with a walk, scoring on junior CF Brett Bigler's double to left center. Steinmeyer followed with an RBI single through the right side, advancing to second on the throw home. A walk and wild pitch gave the Highlanders runners on second and third but that's where the rally would die as sophomore C Jeff Dunbar struck out swinging.
Things went from bad to worse for the Highlanders in the eighth. Trailing 5-3, sophomore RHP Adam Reifer came on in relief of Simmons and promptly hit Wilson. A sacrifice bunt moved Wilson to second and the Matadors got more than they bargained for on the next play as Coit tried laying down another sacrifice but Reifer threw it away, allowing both Wilson and Coit to race around the bases to make it 7-3. Two more runs would come across later in the inning despite only two hits.
Sophomore 1B Aaron Wible hit a solo home run, his third of the season, in the eighth to complete the scoring.
Simmons (8-4) lasted seven innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on nine hits. He struck out three, walked two, and hit three.
Chuckie Fick gained the victory for Northridge to improve to 5-6. He went 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four. Jimmy Brettl pitched the final seven outs to pick up his third save.
Bigler went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored while Steinmeyer also had two hits and one RBI.
UCR took the lead in the bottom of the second when sophomore 2B Drew Garcia doubled to right field with two outs. On the next play, sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza singled to right. CSUN rightfielder Paul Wilson came up throwing and had Garcia gunned down at the plate but catcher Steve Lemmon went low to tag the runner as Garcia leaped over his glove, touching home as he slid by.
CSUN wasted no time in answering, pulling even in the top of the third. Raymond Ravago led off with a single and was sacrificed to second, scoring two batters later on a single by Kris Kasarjian. The Matadors then blew the game open with eight runs over the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. In the sixth, Northridge had runners at first and second with two outs before UCR sophomore starter James Simmons hit Erik Hagstrom. Wilson followed with a two-run bases-loaded single that made it 3-1.
Things began to unravel for Simmons in the seventh. After a lead-off double by Johnny Coit, Jonathan Sakurai layed down a sacrifice bunt that senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer threw away, allowing Coit to score and sending Sakurai to third. Simmons then hit Kasarjian before giving up a run-scoring single to Lemmon. A wild pitch put runners on second and third with no outs but Simmons settled down, retiring the next three batters without any further damage.
UCR rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh, all with two outs. Senior RF Aaron Grant started the rally with a walk, scoring on junior CF Brett Bigler's double to left center. Steinmeyer followed with an RBI single through the right side, advancing to second on the throw home. A walk and wild pitch gave the Highlanders runners on second and third but that's where the rally would die as sophomore C Jeff Dunbar struck out swinging.
Things went from bad to worse for the Highlanders in the eighth. Trailing 5-3, sophomore RHP Adam Reifer came on in relief of Simmons and promptly hit Wilson. A sacrifice bunt moved Wilson to second and the Matadors got more than they bargained for on the next play as Coit tried laying down another sacrifice but Reifer threw it away, allowing both Wilson and Coit to race around the bases to make it 7-3. Two more runs would come across later in the inning despite only two hits.
Sophomore 1B Aaron Wible hit a solo home run, his third of the season, in the eighth to complete the scoring.
Simmons (8-4) lasted seven innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on nine hits. He struck out three, walked two, and hit three.
Chuckie Fick gained the victory for Northridge to improve to 5-6. He went 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four. Jimmy Brettl pitched the final seven outs to pick up his third save.
Bigler went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored while Steinmeyer also had two hits and one RBI.
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UCR Student-Athletes cheer on our students.
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UCR Athletics Director Introductory Full Press Conference
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