Baseball Enjoys Record Setting Evening In 26-7 Victory Over UC Davis

UC Riverside 26, UC Davis 7 Box Score

Riverside—The UC Riverside Baseball Team enjoyed a record-breaking evening Saturday at the Riverside Sports Complex as they pounded out 30 hits en route to a 26-7 win over visiting UC Davis. The Highlanders' victory, coupled with Pacific's 5-1 loss to UC Santa Barbara gives UCR sole possession of third place in the Big West at 13-10.

The Aggies and Highlanders combined for 20 runs on Friday evening, so another slugfest was certainly a possibility. Fans of the offensive side of the game did not go away disappointed. After just two innings were in the books, UC Riverside led 12-4, and both teams scored at least one run in each of the first four innings.

The UC Davis offense finally "blinked" going scoreless in the top of the fifth, but the Highlanders scored three runs in their half of the inning to increase their lead to 17-7. Aggies started Seasn Watson lasted just 1.2 innings allowing 10 hits and 10 runs, all of them earned. His replacement, CJ Blom was touched up for 12 hits in 4.1 innings and 10 runs, eight of which were earned.

UC Riverside starter Dustin Emmons allowed all seven runs in his 6.1 innings of action as he picked up his ninth win of the year against just four defeats. Kevin Dickey and Donovan Gonzales combined to throw 2.2 innings of no-hit baseball.

By the time Emmons came out of the game, the Highlanders led 20-7 and the only question that remained was whether or not they would break any of their team single-game records in the win.

After scoring just one run in the bottom of the seventh, UC Riverside tacked on another five in the bottom of the eighth to finish with 26 runs on the night. That tied the team record for runs in a game originally set against Chico State back on February 8, 1996. The Highlanders also finished with 30 hits to establish a new single-game mark in that category, and scored at least one run in each inning.

Justin Shults went three for five on the night with five runs batted in and he enters the last game of the season with a .393 batting average and 62 RBIs. If he goes two for two on Sunday afternoon, he will become just the second member of the Highlanders in the Division I-era to hit .400 or better or a season joining Ryan Harvey who accomplished the feat back in 2003.

His RBI total is tied for the fifth most in UCR history and is the highest Highlanders out put since Jason Clark set the program bench mark with 72 back in 1997. Shults and Tony Nix also have a chance to become just the third and fourth players in the history of the program to post a slugging percentage of greater than .700. They both enter Sunday's game sitting at .699. Rich Rodriguez (.712 in 1981) and Clark (.722 in 1997) are the only other Highlanders to top the .700 mark.

Robert Brantly went four for four on the night, and his 77 hits are the most for a UC Riverside player since Tony Festa banged out 84 in the 2004 campaign. Trevor Hairgrove etched his name into the Highlanders record books Saturday as he was hit by a pitch for the 15th time this season setting a new single-season mark.

First pitch Sunday is slated for 1 pm PT, and the Highlanders will honor their four seniors in a ceremony held prior to the game.

Baseball Enjoys Record Setting Evening In 26-7 Victory Over UC Davis

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