Friday, May 1
Riverside Sports Complex
6:00 PM
UC Riverside
5
vs
9
Pacific
Highlanders Can't Hold 5-2 Lead In 9th, Fall 9-5 To Pacific
5/1/2009 6:45:54 PM | Baseball
Pacific 9, UC Riverside 5 - Box Score
UC Riverside carried a 5-2 lead over Pacific into the ninth inning and turned the ball over to preseason All-American Joseph Kelly for what would have been his Highlanders record 22nd save of his career. But the Tigers touched the Corona, CA native for six runs on five hits as Pacific picked up the 9-5 Big West Conference win.
A UC Riverside win would have moved the Highlanders past Pacific into sixth place in the Big West, but they now trail the Tigers by one and a half games.
The Tigers (18-22, 8-8) got on the scoreboard first when Mike McKeever laced a first-inning double to left center scoring Joey Centanni who had singled with one out in the inning.
The Highlanders (25-14, 5-8) didn't waste any time in taking the lead back from Pacific in the bottom of the first, putting together a two-out rally. Michael Hur started things off with a double to straight away center. Ryan Goetz singled up the middle scoring Hur, and Goetz moved to third following a Robert Brantly infield single and an error by third baseman Mike Walker. Tony Nix's single to center scored Goetz, and Joey Gonzales's infield single and an error by second baseman J.B. Brown scored Brantly for a 3-1 UCR lead.
UC Riverside put two more on the board in the third as Hur tripled to open the frame, Geotz doubled him home and a Nix sac fly scored Goetz.
Meanwhile, Highlanders starter Paul Bargas was cruising, allowing just four hits and one run in the second through seventh innings. In the eighth, Bargas went over the 100 pitch plateau and started to show signs of tiring as the first two batters reached base on a walk and a single. Highlanders Head Coach Doug Smith brought in Dustin Emmons from the bullpen, but the 6-1 righthander quickly found himself in a bases loaded, one-out jam. Emmons dialed up a double play grounder, however, and UCR escaped with the 5-2 lead in tact.
In the ninth, Smith made the call to Kelly, but he was only able to record one out before the Tigers put six runs on the board. Kolby Moore replaced Kelly and gave up another run before working out of the inning. The Highlanders in the bottom of the ninth, and the Tigers had the 9-5 win.
These same two teams play again on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 6 pm.
UC Riverside carried a 5-2 lead over Pacific into the ninth inning and turned the ball over to preseason All-American Joseph Kelly for what would have been his Highlanders record 22nd save of his career. But the Tigers touched the Corona, CA native for six runs on five hits as Pacific picked up the 9-5 Big West Conference win.
A UC Riverside win would have moved the Highlanders past Pacific into sixth place in the Big West, but they now trail the Tigers by one and a half games.
The Tigers (18-22, 8-8) got on the scoreboard first when Mike McKeever laced a first-inning double to left center scoring Joey Centanni who had singled with one out in the inning.
The Highlanders (25-14, 5-8) didn't waste any time in taking the lead back from Pacific in the bottom of the first, putting together a two-out rally. Michael Hur started things off with a double to straight away center. Ryan Goetz singled up the middle scoring Hur, and Goetz moved to third following a Robert Brantly infield single and an error by third baseman Mike Walker. Tony Nix's single to center scored Goetz, and Joey Gonzales's infield single and an error by second baseman J.B. Brown scored Brantly for a 3-1 UCR lead.
UC Riverside put two more on the board in the third as Hur tripled to open the frame, Geotz doubled him home and a Nix sac fly scored Goetz.
Meanwhile, Highlanders starter Paul Bargas was cruising, allowing just four hits and one run in the second through seventh innings. In the eighth, Bargas went over the 100 pitch plateau and started to show signs of tiring as the first two batters reached base on a walk and a single. Highlanders Head Coach Doug Smith brought in Dustin Emmons from the bullpen, but the 6-1 righthander quickly found himself in a bases loaded, one-out jam. Emmons dialed up a double play grounder, however, and UCR escaped with the 5-2 lead in tact.
In the ninth, Smith made the call to Kelly, but he was only able to record one out before the Tigers put six runs on the board. Kolby Moore replaced Kelly and gave up another run before working out of the inning. The Highlanders in the bottom of the ninth, and the Tigers had the 9-5 win.
These same two teams play again on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 6 pm.
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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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Athletics Director Greg Paules Introductory Presentation Recap
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