Saturday, April 3
Riverside Sports Complex
1:00 PM
UC Riverside
14
vs
5
Cal Poly
Photo by: Ross French
McConkey Hits NCAA-Record Tying Three Triples In 14-5 Win Over Cal Poly
4/3/2010 3:15:21 PM | Baseball
UC Riverside 14, Cal Poly 5 Box Score
Riverside—Entering Saturday afternoon's rubber match between the Highlanders and Mustangs, UC Riverside's senior first baseman Brian McConkey had one triple in 192 career at bats. So naturally, the Santa Maria, California native tied an NCAA record by connecting for three triples in the Highlanders 14-5 win over Cal Poly.
The first three-bagger was a shot to right center field and came in the botom of the second plating two runs as UC Riverside (14-9, 2-1) took an early 4-0 lead on the Mustangs. Cal Poly (8-18, 1-2) tied the game at four in their half of the third, but the Highlanders regained the lead in the bottom of the third on a run-scoring single by Justin Shults, a sac fl by Eddie Young and a single to center by Bryan Horst.
After a scoreless fourth for the Mustangs, McConkey led off the bottom of the inning with another triple to right center. That tied the UC Riversde record for triples in a game held by current Highlanders Head Coach Doug Smith among others. McConkey scored two batters later on a Michael Hur infield single. UC Riverside scored three more runs in the inning as Shults's double to center brought home two and Young's single to center made it 11-4 Highlanders.
McConkey came to the plate again in the bottom of the fifth with history on the line, but he lined into a double play to end the inning.
He would get another chance to put his name in the record books in the bottom of the eighth. Trevor Hairgrove led off the inning with a homer to left center, and McConkey followed with a liner in the same general direction. A double was a certainty, but McConkey put his head down rounding second and slid into third with his record-tying third triple of the game.
The last player to hit three triples in a single game at the Division I level was Brad Daniels who pulled off the feat for Albany against Hartford on April 9, 2006.
McConkey wasn't the only member of the Highlanders having a banner offensive day. Eight of nine starters had at least one hit led by Shult's three-for-four afternoon with four runs scored and four RBIs. Hur had three hits as well scoring and driving in a pair, while Young added three RBIs.
Matt Larkins got the start for UC Riverside scattering seven hits in 7.1 innings to pick up his third win of the season against two losses. His only difficult inning came in the top of the third when Cal Poly scored four of their runs.
Joey Wagman got the start for the Mustangs, but he lasted just 2.1 innings giving up seven runs, four of which were earned. His replacement, Tommy Erlin, didn't fare any better giving up five hits and four runs in 1.2 innings of action. Eugene Wright was the third pitcher of the game for Cal Poly and he gave up three runs in three innings before giving way to Frankie Reed who was unscored upon in his one inning pitched.
The Highlanders are off until the weekend when they travel north to face Pacific in their second Big West series of the season First pitch for Friday evening's game is slated for 6 pm PT.
Riverside—Entering Saturday afternoon's rubber match between the Highlanders and Mustangs, UC Riverside's senior first baseman Brian McConkey had one triple in 192 career at bats. So naturally, the Santa Maria, California native tied an NCAA record by connecting for three triples in the Highlanders 14-5 win over Cal Poly.
The first three-bagger was a shot to right center field and came in the botom of the second plating two runs as UC Riverside (14-9, 2-1) took an early 4-0 lead on the Mustangs. Cal Poly (8-18, 1-2) tied the game at four in their half of the third, but the Highlanders regained the lead in the bottom of the third on a run-scoring single by Justin Shults, a sac fl by Eddie Young and a single to center by Bryan Horst.
After a scoreless fourth for the Mustangs, McConkey led off the bottom of the inning with another triple to right center. That tied the UC Riversde record for triples in a game held by current Highlanders Head Coach Doug Smith among others. McConkey scored two batters later on a Michael Hur infield single. UC Riverside scored three more runs in the inning as Shults's double to center brought home two and Young's single to center made it 11-4 Highlanders.
McConkey came to the plate again in the bottom of the fifth with history on the line, but he lined into a double play to end the inning.
He would get another chance to put his name in the record books in the bottom of the eighth. Trevor Hairgrove led off the inning with a homer to left center, and McConkey followed with a liner in the same general direction. A double was a certainty, but McConkey put his head down rounding second and slid into third with his record-tying third triple of the game.
The last player to hit three triples in a single game at the Division I level was Brad Daniels who pulled off the feat for Albany against Hartford on April 9, 2006.
McConkey wasn't the only member of the Highlanders having a banner offensive day. Eight of nine starters had at least one hit led by Shult's three-for-four afternoon with four runs scored and four RBIs. Hur had three hits as well scoring and driving in a pair, while Young added three RBIs.
Matt Larkins got the start for UC Riverside scattering seven hits in 7.1 innings to pick up his third win of the season against two losses. His only difficult inning came in the top of the third when Cal Poly scored four of their runs.
Joey Wagman got the start for the Mustangs, but he lasted just 2.1 innings giving up seven runs, four of which were earned. His replacement, Tommy Erlin, didn't fare any better giving up five hits and four runs in 1.2 innings of action. Eugene Wright was the third pitcher of the game for Cal Poly and he gave up three runs in three innings before giving way to Frankie Reed who was unscored upon in his one inning pitched.
The Highlanders are off until the weekend when they travel north to face Pacific in their second Big West series of the season First pitch for Friday evening's game is slated for 6 pm PT.
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