Saturday, May 27
UC Riverside
4
at
5
UC Irvine
Anteaters Come Back to Take Series from UCR
5/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Jaime Martinez hit a two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th inning Saturday night to lift UC Irvine to a 5-4 win over UC Riverside at Anteater Ballpark. The Anteaters claim the series and move to 36-21 overall and 11-9 in the Big West while the Highlanders drop their fourth straight to fall to 28-25 overall and 8-12 in conference play.
UCR led 3-1 entering the bottom of the ninth but could not hold the lead, as Matt Morris hit a two-run home run off of UCR senior starter Haley Winter to tie the game. Junior RHP Daniel Stange replaced Winter and got the final three outs despite allowing the potential winning run to reach second. The Highlanders regained the lead in the 10th, loading the bases with two outs before junior CF Brett Bigler hit an RBI single through the left side. The inning ended when sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza was thrown out at home plate while trying to score from second.
UCI would not go quietly, however, as Cody Cipriano led off the 10th with a double, one of his four hits on the day. Martinez followed with his eighth homer of the year, a two-run shot to left on a 1-1 pitch.
After being shut out on just five hits in Friday's opener, UCR was held without a run Saturday until the seventh inning. Fortunately, Winter held the Anteaters scoreless as well, with the teams matching zeroes through six full innings. The Highlanders broke the deadlock in the seventh as sophomore 1B Aaron Wible led off with a double. Sophomore C Jeff Dunbar then laid down a sacrifice bunt but it was thrown away by UCI pitcher Glenn Swanson, allowing Wible to score and sending Dunbar to second. Two batters later, senior RF Aaron Grant singled home Dunbar to make it 2-0. Dunbar added an RBI single in the eighth as UCR pushed its advantage to 3-0.
The Anteaters began their fight back in the bottom of the eighth, with Cipriano delivering an infield single that made it 3-1.
Making his school-record 75th and final appearance in the UCR uniform, Winter went eight strong innings, allowing three runs on nine hits and striking out a season-high nine. Stange fell to 2-4, allowing two runs on two hits in one-plus innings.
Blair Erickson improved to 5-0 with two innings of relief work. He allowed one run on three hits. Swanson had lasted seven innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on eight hits before giving way to Kyle Necke for one inning.
Grant finished 3-for-6 for UCR while Bigler and Pedroza each collected two hits.
Cipriano went 4-for-5 with an RBI. Martinez and Morris had two hits and two RBI apiece.
The two teams conclude the series and the regular season on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
UCR led 3-1 entering the bottom of the ninth but could not hold the lead, as Matt Morris hit a two-run home run off of UCR senior starter Haley Winter to tie the game. Junior RHP Daniel Stange replaced Winter and got the final three outs despite allowing the potential winning run to reach second. The Highlanders regained the lead in the 10th, loading the bases with two outs before junior CF Brett Bigler hit an RBI single through the left side. The inning ended when sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza was thrown out at home plate while trying to score from second.
UCI would not go quietly, however, as Cody Cipriano led off the 10th with a double, one of his four hits on the day. Martinez followed with his eighth homer of the year, a two-run shot to left on a 1-1 pitch.
After being shut out on just five hits in Friday's opener, UCR was held without a run Saturday until the seventh inning. Fortunately, Winter held the Anteaters scoreless as well, with the teams matching zeroes through six full innings. The Highlanders broke the deadlock in the seventh as sophomore 1B Aaron Wible led off with a double. Sophomore C Jeff Dunbar then laid down a sacrifice bunt but it was thrown away by UCI pitcher Glenn Swanson, allowing Wible to score and sending Dunbar to second. Two batters later, senior RF Aaron Grant singled home Dunbar to make it 2-0. Dunbar added an RBI single in the eighth as UCR pushed its advantage to 3-0.
The Anteaters began their fight back in the bottom of the eighth, with Cipriano delivering an infield single that made it 3-1.
Making his school-record 75th and final appearance in the UCR uniform, Winter went eight strong innings, allowing three runs on nine hits and striking out a season-high nine. Stange fell to 2-4, allowing two runs on two hits in one-plus innings.
Blair Erickson improved to 5-0 with two innings of relief work. He allowed one run on three hits. Swanson had lasted seven innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on eight hits before giving way to Kyle Necke for one inning.
Grant finished 3-for-6 for UCR while Bigler and Pedroza each collected two hits.
Cipriano went 4-for-5 with an RBI. Martinez and Morris had two hits and two RBI apiece.
The two teams conclude the series and the regular season on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
Day in the Life: Leilani Juan
Monday, May 04
UCR Student-Athletes cheer on our students.
Friday, May 01
UCR Athletics Director Introductory Full Press Conference
Tuesday, March 24
Athletics Director Greg Paules Introductory Presentation Recap
Tuesday, March 24
