Sunday, March 17
Riverside, CA
9:00 am
UC Riverside
15-14
8
vs
5
Iona
4-17
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iona | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 1 |
| UC Riverside | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | X | 8 | 9 | 1 |
Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta
Softball Splits Pair In Final Day Of Highlander Classic
3/17/2013 3:50:00 PM | Softball
Riverside—The UC Riverside Softball Team split the final two games of the Highlander Classic, Sunday, taking an 8-5 decision over Iona in the early game (Box Score), and falling 7-0 to Northern Illinois in the night cap (Box Score).
Iona (4-17) jumped in front of the Highlanders early in game one as Beth Kann turned on a 1-2 pitch with two outs and nobody on in the top of the first to put the Gaels up 1-0 with a solo shot to left.
The lead didn't last long, however, as UC Riverside struck for two in the bottom half of the inning. Dionne Anderson led off the frame with a walk and promptly stole second. One batter later, Alexis Pickett doubled to center scoring Anderson, and Ashley Ercolano singled up the middle plating Pickett to put UCR up 2-1.
UC Riverside starter Alyssa Razo ran into some trouble in the top of the second as the Gaels loaded the bases with no outs. But she got the next batter, Briana Schauer, to line into a 1-1-5 double play, and Jodi Peterson's grounder to third ended the inning.
The Highlanders weren't so fortunate in the top of the third as Iona led off the inning with a pair of singles, moved both runners up on a fielder's choice, and tied the game on a Katie Jansson sac fly.
UC Riverside kept up its end of the seesaw battle in its half of the third, scoring two more runs on a sac fly and a throwing error.
In the top of the fourth, the Gales put runners on first and second with two outs. Allison Hand came to the plate, and immediately fell in an 0-2 hole. But she took Razzo's next offering over the left field wall to put Iona back on top, 5-4.
A double by Marissa Escalanta and a pair of ground outs tied the game at five, and one inning later, the Highlanders put the game out of reach. Kayla White's double brought Pickett home with the go-ahead run, and Brittanie Akey knocked in a pair of insurance runs with a double of her own for the final, 8-5, margin of victory.
Ashley Ercolano (6-5) pitched the final 3.1 innings allowing just four hits and no runs to pick up the win.
The Highlanders found themselves trailing early again against Northern Illinois (10-17) in game two after Bryanna Phelan opened the first inning with an infield single, and eventually scored on a double by Nicole Gremillion.
NIU starter Jessica Sturm kept UC Riverside's (15-15) offense off-balance as the Highlanders didn't pick up their first hit until the bottom of the third, and didn't get their first runner in scoring position until the fourth. By then, the Huskies had tacked on another run as Ashley Kopp homered to left center in the top of the fourth putting Northern Illinois up 2-0.
The Huskies made it a three-run lead in the top of the fifth, and in the top of the seventh, they blew the game open scoring four runs to take a 7-0 lead.
Sturm (6-6) retired the Highlanders in order in the bottom of the seventh to close out the game.
UC Riverside begins Big West Conference play this weekend as the team traveels to Pacific for a three-game series with the Tigers.
Iona (4-17) jumped in front of the Highlanders early in game one as Beth Kann turned on a 1-2 pitch with two outs and nobody on in the top of the first to put the Gaels up 1-0 with a solo shot to left.
The lead didn't last long, however, as UC Riverside struck for two in the bottom half of the inning. Dionne Anderson led off the frame with a walk and promptly stole second. One batter later, Alexis Pickett doubled to center scoring Anderson, and Ashley Ercolano singled up the middle plating Pickett to put UCR up 2-1.
UC Riverside starter Alyssa Razo ran into some trouble in the top of the second as the Gaels loaded the bases with no outs. But she got the next batter, Briana Schauer, to line into a 1-1-5 double play, and Jodi Peterson's grounder to third ended the inning.
The Highlanders weren't so fortunate in the top of the third as Iona led off the inning with a pair of singles, moved both runners up on a fielder's choice, and tied the game on a Katie Jansson sac fly.
UC Riverside kept up its end of the seesaw battle in its half of the third, scoring two more runs on a sac fly and a throwing error.
In the top of the fourth, the Gales put runners on first and second with two outs. Allison Hand came to the plate, and immediately fell in an 0-2 hole. But she took Razzo's next offering over the left field wall to put Iona back on top, 5-4.
A double by Marissa Escalanta and a pair of ground outs tied the game at five, and one inning later, the Highlanders put the game out of reach. Kayla White's double brought Pickett home with the go-ahead run, and Brittanie Akey knocked in a pair of insurance runs with a double of her own for the final, 8-5, margin of victory.
Ashley Ercolano (6-5) pitched the final 3.1 innings allowing just four hits and no runs to pick up the win.
The Highlanders found themselves trailing early again against Northern Illinois (10-17) in game two after Bryanna Phelan opened the first inning with an infield single, and eventually scored on a double by Nicole Gremillion.
NIU starter Jessica Sturm kept UC Riverside's (15-15) offense off-balance as the Highlanders didn't pick up their first hit until the bottom of the third, and didn't get their first runner in scoring position until the fourth. By then, the Huskies had tacked on another run as Ashley Kopp homered to left center in the top of the fourth putting Northern Illinois up 2-0.
The Huskies made it a three-run lead in the top of the fifth, and in the top of the seventh, they blew the game open scoring four runs to take a 7-0 lead.
Sturm (6-6) retired the Highlanders in order in the bottom of the seventh to close out the game.
UC Riverside begins Big West Conference play this weekend as the team traveels to Pacific for a three-game series with the Tigers.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ercolano, Ashley (6-5)
L: Argyle (3-7)
Batting:
2B: Jansson 1
HR: Hand 1 ; Kann 1
RBI: Hand 3 ; Kann 1 ; Jansson 1
SF: Jansson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Petersen 1 ; Hand 2 ; Kann 1 ; Schauer 1
HBP: Hand 1
Batting:
2B: Pickett, Alexis 1 ; White, Kayla 1 ; Escalante, Marissa 1 ; Akey, Brittanie 1
RBI: Pickett, Alexis 1 ; Ercolano, Ashley 2 ; White, Kayla 1 ; Akey, Brittanie 3
SH: Ercolano, Ashley 1
SF: Ercolano, Ashley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Anderson, Dionne 2 ; Shore, Ariel 1 ; Pickett, Alexis 2 ; White, Kayla 1 ; Escalante, Marissa 2
SB: Anderson, Dionne 2 ; Shore, Ariel 1 ; White, Kayla 1
CS: Esteban, Meagan 1
HBP: Anderson, Dionne 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
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