Thursday, April 5
Riverside, CA
6:00 PM
UC Riverside
3
vs
2
Long Beach State
Photo by: UCR Athletics Media Relations
Gonzalez's Double In 10th Scores Beckley With Game Winner, 3-2, vs LSBU
4/5/2012 6:24:00 PM | Baseball
Riverside—With one out and runners on first and second in the bottom of the 10th inning Thursday evening, Vince Gonzalez drilled a Matt Johnson offering into the right field corner scoring AJ Beckley with the game-winning run in a 3-2 win over visiting Long Beach State (10-17, 2-2). (Audio Highlights)
But the Highlanders (9-13, 2-2) almost never had the opportunity to enjoy their extra-inning heroics. The Dirtbags loaded the bases with one out in the top of the ninth off of UCR relief pitchers Mitch Patito and Ben Doucette. Joie Dunyon (1-2) came in to face Juan Avila, and he got the third baseman to ground into a 5-2-3 double play on ths first pitch he saw to get out of the jam,
Dylan Stuart got the start for the Highlanders, and in the early going, it looked like it might be a long night for the junior left-hander. He started the game by giving up a double to Johnny Bekakis, who scored the Dirtbags first run of the evening when the very next hitter, Matt Duffy, singled up the middle.
After Stuart got Ino Patron to pop out to left, he gave up two more singles to load the bases before striking out Jeff Yamaguchi and Richard Prigatano to end the inning.
The Highlanders bounced back in the bottom of the first with a lead-off single by Devyn Bolasky, followed by single up the middle by Phil Holinsworth. One out later, Bolasky and Holinsworth stole third and second respectively, and a Gonzalez single to left tied the game at one.
David Andriese then singled to right field to load the bases, and Dirtbags starter Matt Anderson walked Clayton Prestridge to put the Highlanders up 2-1.
UC Riverside lost the services of their center fielder, Bolasky, in the top of the second, as he limped off the field with the assistance of the training staff following a great sliding catch for the second out of the inning.
Stuart ran into trouble in the top of the third as he put runners on first and second with one out by plunking Avila to open the frame, and walking Metzger. Yamaguchi sacrificed both runners up 90 feet, and Prigatano's ground out to third tied the ball game at 2-2.
Both teams had their chances to break the tie during regulation, with the Highlanders' best opportunity coming in the bottom of the seventh. Beckley, who replaced the injured Bolasky, hit a ground-rule double to right center with one out, and following a Holinsworth strikeout, moved to third on a wild pitch. But Eddie Young was unable to bring Beckley plateward as he grounded out to short for the third out of the inning.
Stuart went eight innings for the Highlanders, striking out three and walking one, but didn't figure in the decision. His counterpart, Anderson, went six innings, allowed six hits and walked three with just one strikeout.
Johnson (0-3) took over for Anderson in the bottom of the seventh, and allowed just one hit in his first three innings of work. But in the tenth, Beckley drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a Holinsworth sacrifice bunt. After the Dirtbags intentionally walked Young, Gonzalez saved the day with his double down the right field line.
The Highlanders and Dirtbags play the second of their three-game series Friday at the Riverside Sports Complex at 6: 00 pm.
But the Highlanders (9-13, 2-2) almost never had the opportunity to enjoy their extra-inning heroics. The Dirtbags loaded the bases with one out in the top of the ninth off of UCR relief pitchers Mitch Patito and Ben Doucette. Joie Dunyon (1-2) came in to face Juan Avila, and he got the third baseman to ground into a 5-2-3 double play on ths first pitch he saw to get out of the jam,
Dylan Stuart got the start for the Highlanders, and in the early going, it looked like it might be a long night for the junior left-hander. He started the game by giving up a double to Johnny Bekakis, who scored the Dirtbags first run of the evening when the very next hitter, Matt Duffy, singled up the middle.
After Stuart got Ino Patron to pop out to left, he gave up two more singles to load the bases before striking out Jeff Yamaguchi and Richard Prigatano to end the inning.
The Highlanders bounced back in the bottom of the first with a lead-off single by Devyn Bolasky, followed by single up the middle by Phil Holinsworth. One out later, Bolasky and Holinsworth stole third and second respectively, and a Gonzalez single to left tied the game at one.
David Andriese then singled to right field to load the bases, and Dirtbags starter Matt Anderson walked Clayton Prestridge to put the Highlanders up 2-1.
UC Riverside lost the services of their center fielder, Bolasky, in the top of the second, as he limped off the field with the assistance of the training staff following a great sliding catch for the second out of the inning.
Stuart ran into trouble in the top of the third as he put runners on first and second with one out by plunking Avila to open the frame, and walking Metzger. Yamaguchi sacrificed both runners up 90 feet, and Prigatano's ground out to third tied the ball game at 2-2.
Both teams had their chances to break the tie during regulation, with the Highlanders' best opportunity coming in the bottom of the seventh. Beckley, who replaced the injured Bolasky, hit a ground-rule double to right center with one out, and following a Holinsworth strikeout, moved to third on a wild pitch. But Eddie Young was unable to bring Beckley plateward as he grounded out to short for the third out of the inning.
Stuart went eight innings for the Highlanders, striking out three and walking one, but didn't figure in the decision. His counterpart, Anderson, went six innings, allowed six hits and walked three with just one strikeout.
Johnson (0-3) took over for Anderson in the bottom of the seventh, and allowed just one hit in his first three innings of work. But in the tenth, Beckley drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a Holinsworth sacrifice bunt. After the Dirtbags intentionally walked Young, Gonzalez saved the day with his double down the right field line.
The Highlanders and Dirtbags play the second of their three-game series Friday at the Riverside Sports Complex at 6: 00 pm.
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