Friday, May 10
Santa Barbara, CA
2:00 pm
UC Riverside
at
UC Santa Barbara
Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta
Softball Concludes Season With Series At UC Santa Barbara Beginning Friday
5/6/2013 3:55:00 PM | Softball
Northridge, CA—The UC Riverside Softball Team closes out the 2013 season on May 10-11 with a final Big West Conference series at UC Santa Barbara. First pitch of Friday's doubleheader gets underway at noon PT, with Saturday's finale slated for 12 pm. Live Stats.
After taking the series from Cal Poly two weeks ago (watch the video recap), the Highlanders dropped all three games at Cal State Northridge this past weekend. Kayla White is the only member of the squad with a batting average north of .300, as her .371 average ranks second in the league.
As a team, the Highlanders are hitting .267, good enough for fifth in the Big West. However, UCR's pitching staff is struggling with a combined ERA of 5.16—ninth in the conference.
UC Santa Barbara is coming off of a 1-2 series at nationally ranked Hawai'i, and is 29-23 overall and 10-11 in Big West play. The Gauchos are tied with Cal State Northridge in the middle of the pack, but only two games separate four teams vying for a third place finish in the conference.
UCSB is 29-4 against the Highlanders since 2002, and has won all but one conference series in 11 years. The Highlanders came back from a six-run deficit in their last victory against the Gauchos, winning 11-8 on April 17, 2011 (recap/box score). View all results.
GAME NOTES
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
The Highlanders have stolen 84 bases this season, setting the new Division I program record in the process. UCR ranks 35th in the nation in stolen bases per game, with Ariel Shore ranking 58th individually in that category (national rankings thru games played 5/5).
STOP, THIEF!
UCR stole nine bases against Southern Utah on March 11, setting the program's Division I record for most stolen bases in a single game. Dionne Anderson added her name to the UCR record books as she stole four bases that game—the most in a single game in the program's DI history.
V FOR VICTORY
UC Riverside took its first conference series of the season winning two of three games against Cal Poly on April 25-26. A year ago, the Highlanders won three league series against Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly, and Cal State Fullerton.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kayla White earned Big West Conference Field Player of the Week honors on March 18 for games played March 11-17. The senior outfielder lead the Highlanders to a 6-2 week while batting .545 and slugging .909 with 10 runs scored and seven RBI. White is the first UCR player to earn the league's weekly honor since Jessica Vasser was named player of the week on April 23, 2012.
RUN HOME JACK
There is no secret to the Highlanders success in Big West play: in the team's three wins, they are averaging 6.3 runs a game. In losses, though, that average is just 2.1 runs a game. And in those losses, UC Riverside has scored just three or more runs three times, and has been shut out four times.
WRONG WAY STREAK
UCR's 10-game losing streak from March 17 - April 6 is a season-high and the longest since a 10-game drought to end the 2010 season.
TERESTRIAL LOCOMOTION
Nine of UC Riverside's 2013 opponents have scored 10 or more runs, which is four more than last year's total, and the most in the team's Division I history.
THE BEGINNING OF AN ERA
UCR's pitching corps has a 5.16 ERA this season, making it the second-highest ERA in program DI history (5.60, 2011).
APOLLO 11
The Highlanders scored 11 runs in a 14-11 loss to Long Beach State on March 29—the most runs scored in a loss since since a 13-11 defeat by Boise State on February 25, 2011. The 14 runs allowed is a season-high and the most since Michigan State scored 15 against UC Riverside on March 6, 2012.
DOUBLEMINT GUM
UCR opponents have scored 10 or more runs on back-to-back occasions twice this season: Hawai'i scored 16 and 12 runs respectively on April 5 and 6, while Long Beach State scored 14 and 10 runs in a doubleheader on March 29. This marks the first time since February 25 and 27, 2011 when Boise State and UNLV garnered 13 and 10 runs respectively.
NOT SO SWEET SIXTEEN
Hawai'i scored 16 runs against UC Riverside on April 5—the most allowed since UC Davis plated 17 on April 30, 2011.
GONE STREAKING
UC Riverside's six-game winning streak from March 10-13, 2013 is the longest streak in the program's Division I history. The previous high was five, set on multiple occasions most recently during the 2012 season.
WALK THIS WAY
Ashley Ercolano hit a three-run walk-off home run for UCR in its win against Weber State on February 23. Prior to Ercolano's shot, the last Highlanders player to record a walk-off homer was Kaylie Atkinson, who drilled a shot against Idaho State on Feb. 25, 2012.
ERROR MESSAGE
UC Riverside committed five errors in its loss against Fresno State on Feb. 8, the most since April 16, 2011 when the Highlanders recorded six errors.
BREAKING RECORDS
UCR finished the 2012 season with a 25-28 overall record, setting a new program Division I mark for most wins in a season and for best winning percentage.
BRINGING OUT THE BROOMS
The Highlanders sweep of Cal State Northridge on May 5-6, 2012 was the first such sweep over the Matadors in the team's Division I history. The sweep was also the first for UCR in conference play since taking a three-game series from Sacramento State on May 4-5, 2002.
SHOWING NO MERCY
UCR won six games last year by the eight-run mercy-rule—the most times in the program's DI history. This season, they've won four games by the mercy rule, but have been mercy ruled 10 times by opponents.
COACHING CHANGES
UC Riverside welcomes an entirely new coaching staff to the dugout in 2013. Head Coach Linda Garza was hired in June to lead the program, and named Jodie Cox and Chez Sievers as assistant coaches and Morgan Stuart as a volunteer coach.
ALL-BIG WEST
Four UC Riverside players were selected to the Big West All-Conference Team last season, with outfielder Kayla White garnering All-Big West First-Team awards while Alexis Pickett was selected to the Second Team, and Ariel Shore and Kaylie Atkinson both received Honorable Mention accolades.
After taking the series from Cal Poly two weeks ago (watch the video recap), the Highlanders dropped all three games at Cal State Northridge this past weekend. Kayla White is the only member of the squad with a batting average north of .300, as her .371 average ranks second in the league.
As a team, the Highlanders are hitting .267, good enough for fifth in the Big West. However, UCR's pitching staff is struggling with a combined ERA of 5.16—ninth in the conference.
UC Santa Barbara is coming off of a 1-2 series at nationally ranked Hawai'i, and is 29-23 overall and 10-11 in Big West play. The Gauchos are tied with Cal State Northridge in the middle of the pack, but only two games separate four teams vying for a third place finish in the conference.
UCSB is 29-4 against the Highlanders since 2002, and has won all but one conference series in 11 years. The Highlanders came back from a six-run deficit in their last victory against the Gauchos, winning 11-8 on April 17, 2011 (recap/box score). View all results.
| Highlanders vs Gauchos Game Capsules | ||
| UC Riverside | UC Santa Barbara | |
| 2013 Record & Stats | 19-33, 3-18 | 29-23, 10-11 |
| Roster | Roster | |
| Schedule | Schedule | |
| Conference | Big West | |
| Current Streak | L 3 | L 2 |
| Most Recent Box Score |
L, 12-3 at Cal State Northridge |
L, 8-0 at Hawai'i |
| Next Opponent | N/A | N/A |
| Top Hitter |
Kayla White
Senior .371 BA |
 Senior .328 BA |
| Top Pitcher |
Alyssa Razo
Sophomore 4.51 ERA 9-14 Record |
 Freshman 1.99 ERA 7-4 Record |
| DI Record vs. | 4-29 | |
| DI Current Streak vs. | L 3 | |
| Projected Highlanders Lineup | ||||||||||
| (By Position) | ||||||||||
| Pos | # | Name | Yr | B/T | Avg | OBP | SLG | H | RBI | SB |
| C | 6 | Alexis Pickett | Sr. | L/R | .262 | .338 | .325 | 33 | 16 | 6 |
| 1B | 17 | Marissa Escalante | Fr. | R/R | .275 | .402 | .373 | 28 | 14 | 2 |
| 2B | 11 | Nicolette Lujan | So. | R/R | .214 | .274 | .224 | 21 | 4 | 3 |
| 3B | 16 | Brittanie Akey | Fr. | R/R | .212 | .293 | .254 | 25 | 15 | 1 |
| SS | 20 | Natalie Sanchez | Fr. | R/R | .248 | .336 | .394 | 27 | 16 | 1 |
| RF | 19 | Dionne Anderson | Jr. | L/R | .287 | .388 | .364 | 41 | 17 | 19 |
| CF | 4 | Kayla White | Sr. | R/R | .371 | .405 | .667 | 59 | 33 | 19 |
| LF | 7 | Ariel Shore | Sr. | L/R | .297 | .335 | .367 | 48 | 8 | 25 |
| DP | 9 | Ashley Ercolano | Fr. | R/R | .243 | .279 | .375 | 35 | 27 | 2 |
GAME NOTES
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
The Highlanders have stolen 84 bases this season, setting the new Division I program record in the process. UCR ranks 35th in the nation in stolen bases per game, with Ariel Shore ranking 58th individually in that category (national rankings thru games played 5/5).
STOP, THIEF!
UCR stole nine bases against Southern Utah on March 11, setting the program's Division I record for most stolen bases in a single game. Dionne Anderson added her name to the UCR record books as she stole four bases that game—the most in a single game in the program's DI history.
V FOR VICTORY
UC Riverside took its first conference series of the season winning two of three games against Cal Poly on April 25-26. A year ago, the Highlanders won three league series against Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly, and Cal State Fullerton.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kayla White earned Big West Conference Field Player of the Week honors on March 18 for games played March 11-17. The senior outfielder lead the Highlanders to a 6-2 week while batting .545 and slugging .909 with 10 runs scored and seven RBI. White is the first UCR player to earn the league's weekly honor since Jessica Vasser was named player of the week on April 23, 2012.
RUN HOME JACK
There is no secret to the Highlanders success in Big West play: in the team's three wins, they are averaging 6.3 runs a game. In losses, though, that average is just 2.1 runs a game. And in those losses, UC Riverside has scored just three or more runs three times, and has been shut out four times.
WRONG WAY STREAK
UCR's 10-game losing streak from March 17 - April 6 is a season-high and the longest since a 10-game drought to end the 2010 season.
TERESTRIAL LOCOMOTION
Nine of UC Riverside's 2013 opponents have scored 10 or more runs, which is four more than last year's total, and the most in the team's Division I history.
THE BEGINNING OF AN ERA
UCR's pitching corps has a 5.16 ERA this season, making it the second-highest ERA in program DI history (5.60, 2011).
APOLLO 11
The Highlanders scored 11 runs in a 14-11 loss to Long Beach State on March 29—the most runs scored in a loss since since a 13-11 defeat by Boise State on February 25, 2011. The 14 runs allowed is a season-high and the most since Michigan State scored 15 against UC Riverside on March 6, 2012.
DOUBLEMINT GUM
UCR opponents have scored 10 or more runs on back-to-back occasions twice this season: Hawai'i scored 16 and 12 runs respectively on April 5 and 6, while Long Beach State scored 14 and 10 runs in a doubleheader on March 29. This marks the first time since February 25 and 27, 2011 when Boise State and UNLV garnered 13 and 10 runs respectively.
NOT SO SWEET SIXTEEN
Hawai'i scored 16 runs against UC Riverside on April 5—the most allowed since UC Davis plated 17 on April 30, 2011.
GONE STREAKING
UC Riverside's six-game winning streak from March 10-13, 2013 is the longest streak in the program's Division I history. The previous high was five, set on multiple occasions most recently during the 2012 season.
WALK THIS WAY
Ashley Ercolano hit a three-run walk-off home run for UCR in its win against Weber State on February 23. Prior to Ercolano's shot, the last Highlanders player to record a walk-off homer was Kaylie Atkinson, who drilled a shot against Idaho State on Feb. 25, 2012.
ERROR MESSAGE
UC Riverside committed five errors in its loss against Fresno State on Feb. 8, the most since April 16, 2011 when the Highlanders recorded six errors.
BREAKING RECORDS
UCR finished the 2012 season with a 25-28 overall record, setting a new program Division I mark for most wins in a season and for best winning percentage.
| Best Winning Pct. (DI) | |
| .472 | 2012 |
| .449 | 2006 |
| .407 | 2010 |
| Most Wins (DI) | |
| 25 x | 2012 |
| 22 | 2006 |
| 22 | 2010 |
BRINGING OUT THE BROOMS
The Highlanders sweep of Cal State Northridge on May 5-6, 2012 was the first such sweep over the Matadors in the team's Division I history. The sweep was also the first for UCR in conference play since taking a three-game series from Sacramento State on May 4-5, 2002.
SHOWING NO MERCY
UCR won six games last year by the eight-run mercy-rule—the most times in the program's DI history. This season, they've won four games by the mercy rule, but have been mercy ruled 10 times by opponents.
COACHING CHANGES
UC Riverside welcomes an entirely new coaching staff to the dugout in 2013. Head Coach Linda Garza was hired in June to lead the program, and named Jodie Cox and Chez Sievers as assistant coaches and Morgan Stuart as a volunteer coach.
ALL-BIG WEST
Four UC Riverside players were selected to the Big West All-Conference Team last season, with outfielder Kayla White garnering All-Big West First-Team awards while Alexis Pickett was selected to the Second Team, and Ariel Shore and Kaylie Atkinson both received Honorable Mention accolades.
Thursday, May 21
Monday, May 04
Friday, May 01
Tuesday, March 24
