Saturday, May 6
UC Riverside
4
at
5
Pacific
Pacific Snaps Losing Streak vs. UCR
5/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
University of the Pacific snapped its seven-game losing streak with a 5-4 victory over UC Riverside on Saturday afternoon at Klein Family Field. The Highlanders drop to 23-19, 5-6 in the Big West Conference while the Tigers improve to 23-20, 4-10.
One day after UCR scored 11 runs on 11 hits, Pacific freshman pitcher Joey Centanni (4-3) shut down the Highlanders, tossing his second career complete game. Centanni allowed four earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five.
Pacific struck twice in the bottom of the second to take the lead. Bob Saunders singled to open the inning and was sacrificed to second. A single by John Joines put runners on first and third and Justin Baum followed with an RBI single, one of his four hits on the afternoon. After UCR junior Taylor Bills struck out Matt Berezay for out number two, he hit John Devany to load the bases. Anthony Jackson then hit a single to left to make it 2-0. On the play, Baum tried to score from second but was thrown out at the plate by UCR junior LF D.J. Hollingsworth to end the inning.
UCR answered back with a run in the top of the third as senior RF Aaron Grant hit into a run-scoring fielder's choice to plate junior 1B Nick Salotti, who had doubled earlier. The Highlanders tied it up in the fourth when Hollingsworth doubled with two outs, then scored on junior INF Kyle Barratt's triple.
The tie would not last long as the Tigers regained the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame, both with two outs. With one out, Baum doubled and Berezay followed with a walk. Two batters later, Bills uncorked a wild pitch to move the runners up, enabling them both to score on Jackson's single to center.
For the second time in the game, UCR tied it up, scoring twice in the sixth. Junior CF Brett Bigler walked and was followed by a single by senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer. After a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, Salotti brought them home with a single to right to tie the game at 4-4.
Yet again, the tie would not last into the next inning as UOP took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth. Joines was hit to open the inning and Bills was replaced by junior LHP Marc Rzepczynski. He promptly gave up a double to Baum to put runners on second and third, then threw a wild pitch that brought Joines in with the go-ahead run. Rzepczynski bore down after that, striking out the side to keep the Tigers from blowing the game open.
UCR would look to rally one more time, putting runners on second and third with one out in the eighth but Centanni got out of the inning with a strikeout and fly out. He threw a perfect ninth to close it out.
Bills (4-4) took the loss for UCR, giving up five runs on eight hits in five innings. Bills only walked one batter but hit four Tigers. He also struck out five.
Salotti finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Steinmeyer also had two hits.
Baum went 4-for-4 at the top of the Tiger lineup while Jackson was 2-for-3 with three RBI.
One day after UCR scored 11 runs on 11 hits, Pacific freshman pitcher Joey Centanni (4-3) shut down the Highlanders, tossing his second career complete game. Centanni allowed four earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five.
Pacific struck twice in the bottom of the second to take the lead. Bob Saunders singled to open the inning and was sacrificed to second. A single by John Joines put runners on first and third and Justin Baum followed with an RBI single, one of his four hits on the afternoon. After UCR junior Taylor Bills struck out Matt Berezay for out number two, he hit John Devany to load the bases. Anthony Jackson then hit a single to left to make it 2-0. On the play, Baum tried to score from second but was thrown out at the plate by UCR junior LF D.J. Hollingsworth to end the inning.
UCR answered back with a run in the top of the third as senior RF Aaron Grant hit into a run-scoring fielder's choice to plate junior 1B Nick Salotti, who had doubled earlier. The Highlanders tied it up in the fourth when Hollingsworth doubled with two outs, then scored on junior INF Kyle Barratt's triple.
The tie would not last long as the Tigers regained the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame, both with two outs. With one out, Baum doubled and Berezay followed with a walk. Two batters later, Bills uncorked a wild pitch to move the runners up, enabling them both to score on Jackson's single to center.
For the second time in the game, UCR tied it up, scoring twice in the sixth. Junior CF Brett Bigler walked and was followed by a single by senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer. After a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, Salotti brought them home with a single to right to tie the game at 4-4.
Yet again, the tie would not last into the next inning as UOP took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth. Joines was hit to open the inning and Bills was replaced by junior LHP Marc Rzepczynski. He promptly gave up a double to Baum to put runners on second and third, then threw a wild pitch that brought Joines in with the go-ahead run. Rzepczynski bore down after that, striking out the side to keep the Tigers from blowing the game open.
UCR would look to rally one more time, putting runners on second and third with one out in the eighth but Centanni got out of the inning with a strikeout and fly out. He threw a perfect ninth to close it out.
Bills (4-4) took the loss for UCR, giving up five runs on eight hits in five innings. Bills only walked one batter but hit four Tigers. He also struck out five.
Salotti finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Steinmeyer also had two hits.
Baum went 4-for-4 at the top of the Tiger lineup while Jackson was 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Highlander Hot Talk Podcast - Spring Sports Recap 5/21/2026
Thursday, May 21
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
