Friday, May 4
Riverside, CA
6:00 PM
UC Riverside
7
vs
8
Cal State Northridge
Rally Raccoon Can't Complete Comeback As CSUN Tops Highlanders, 8-7
5/4/2012 7:46:00 PM | Baseball
Riverside—Following in the footsteps of the Los Angeles Angels Rally Monkey and the St. Louis Cardinals Rally Squirrel, the UC Riverside Baseball Team tried to draw inspiration from its own Rally Raccoon which made itself at home at the Riverside Sports Complex Friday evening. Although it brought the Highlanders back from three runs down in the bottom of the ninth, UCR couldn't quite complete the comeback as they fell 8-7 in 10 innings to visiting Cal State Northridge.
Eddie Orozco and his 2.30 ERA got the start for the Highlanders Friday evening, but he was wild early on as he walked the first two batters of the game. The third batter, Adam Barry, sent a 3-1 Orozco offering over the right center field fence to put the Matadors up 3-0.
That lead didn't last long, however, as UC Riverside bounced back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Eddie Young began the frame with a single through the left side, and oe out later, Vince Gonzales moved him to second with a single of his own.
After David Andriese walked to load the bases, Clayton Prestridge doubled to left field scoring a pair of runs, and Kyle Boudreau's ground out to second tied the game.
Shortly thereafter, nature's bandit made his presence known in the trees beside the press box at The Plex causing fans to pull out their cell phones and take photos to record his appearance for posterity.
The Matadors regained the lead in the top of the third as Marty Bowen brought Barry home with a single to center and Miles Williams scored on an error by Young at short.
It remained a two-run game until the bottom of the sixth when Boudreau drove a 3-1 Louis Cohen pitch over the right field fence cutting the CSUN lead in half.
Orozco was pulled after five innings giving way to Mark Garcia who allowed just two baserunners in his first two innings of shut out baseball. But in the eighth, Ryan Raslowsky singled to left with nobody out, and Nate Ring doubled to right center to put runners at second and third.
Cal Vogelsang then hit a grounder to Boudreau at first and the sophomore tried to nail Raslowsky at the plate, but his throw bounced in front of catcher Bart Steponovich and made its way all the way to the back stop. Ben Doucette took over for Garcia and gave up a run-scoring ground out to Barry giving the Matadors a three-run lead.
At about that time, the Highlanders new furry friend began roaming the stands in search of peanut shells, discarded hotdog buns and other concessions stand fare.
The sound of the Beatles' "Rocky Raccoon" filled the air, and the Highlanders donned their raccoon rally caps.
Alex Rubanowitz led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to right, and pinch-hitter Devyn Bolasky singled to center. After Young fouled out to left advancing Bolasky to second, Phil Holinsworth hit a seeing-eye single that bounced off of Cohen's glove to make it a 7-5 ballgame.
Vince Gonzalez followed with a double to right center to tie the game. Cohen then sandwiched a pair of intentional walks to David Andriese and Boudreau around a Prestridge strikeout to load the bases. That brought Drake Zarate to the plate, but his drive to right field settled into Williams' glove, sending the Highlanders and Matadors into extra innings.
Zach Varela, who pitched a scoreless ninth for UC Riverside, came out for the tenth, and was greeted by a Raslowsky single. Ring sacrificed him to second, and Vogelsang doubled down the right field line to put Cal State Northridge up 8-7.
In the bottom of the tenth, the Highlanders put runners on first and second with one out, but reliever Harley Holt struck out Holinsworth and Gonzalez to close out the game and ruin any chance of a "rally raccoon" giveaway later in the season.
UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge play one another again on Saturday with first pitch slated for 6 pm PT.
Eddie Orozco and his 2.30 ERA got the start for the Highlanders Friday evening, but he was wild early on as he walked the first two batters of the game. The third batter, Adam Barry, sent a 3-1 Orozco offering over the right center field fence to put the Matadors up 3-0.
That lead didn't last long, however, as UC Riverside bounced back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Eddie Young began the frame with a single through the left side, and oe out later, Vince Gonzales moved him to second with a single of his own.
After David Andriese walked to load the bases, Clayton Prestridge doubled to left field scoring a pair of runs, and Kyle Boudreau's ground out to second tied the game.
Shortly thereafter, nature's bandit made his presence known in the trees beside the press box at The Plex causing fans to pull out their cell phones and take photos to record his appearance for posterity.
The Matadors regained the lead in the top of the third as Marty Bowen brought Barry home with a single to center and Miles Williams scored on an error by Young at short.
It remained a two-run game until the bottom of the sixth when Boudreau drove a 3-1 Louis Cohen pitch over the right field fence cutting the CSUN lead in half.
Orozco was pulled after five innings giving way to Mark Garcia who allowed just two baserunners in his first two innings of shut out baseball. But in the eighth, Ryan Raslowsky singled to left with nobody out, and Nate Ring doubled to right center to put runners at second and third.
Cal Vogelsang then hit a grounder to Boudreau at first and the sophomore tried to nail Raslowsky at the plate, but his throw bounced in front of catcher Bart Steponovich and made its way all the way to the back stop. Ben Doucette took over for Garcia and gave up a run-scoring ground out to Barry giving the Matadors a three-run lead.
At about that time, the Highlanders new furry friend began roaming the stands in search of peanut shells, discarded hotdog buns and other concessions stand fare.
The sound of the Beatles' "Rocky Raccoon" filled the air, and the Highlanders donned their raccoon rally caps.
Alex Rubanowitz led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to right, and pinch-hitter Devyn Bolasky singled to center. After Young fouled out to left advancing Bolasky to second, Phil Holinsworth hit a seeing-eye single that bounced off of Cohen's glove to make it a 7-5 ballgame.
Vince Gonzalez followed with a double to right center to tie the game. Cohen then sandwiched a pair of intentional walks to David Andriese and Boudreau around a Prestridge strikeout to load the bases. That brought Drake Zarate to the plate, but his drive to right field settled into Williams' glove, sending the Highlanders and Matadors into extra innings.
Zach Varela, who pitched a scoreless ninth for UC Riverside, came out for the tenth, and was greeted by a Raslowsky single. Ring sacrificed him to second, and Vogelsang doubled down the right field line to put Cal State Northridge up 8-7.
In the bottom of the tenth, the Highlanders put runners on first and second with one out, but reliever Harley Holt struck out Holinsworth and Gonzalez to close out the game and ruin any chance of a "rally raccoon" giveaway later in the season.
UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge play one another again on Saturday with first pitch slated for 6 pm PT.
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