San Diego State Tops UC Riverside Baseball, 6-2

Riverside—Although they put seven runners on base in the first two innings of play and chased Aztecs starter Tyler Sapp after just an inning and a third, the UC Riverside Baseball Team ran itself out of a number of rallies Tuesday evening leaving the door open for San Diego State to walk away with a 6-2 victory (Box Score).

Sapp pitched against the Highlanders (10-26) on April 2 of this season, and threw seven innings of three-hit baseball. He would not be so fortunate in his second visit to the Inland Empire. The freshman struggled with his control from the get go, walking lead-off hitter Devyn Bolasky. After Joe Chavez popped out in foul territory to the catcher, Sapp uncorked two wild pitches that sent Bolasky to third. Clayton Prestridge then doubled to right center to make it 1-0 UC Riverside.

That brought up clean up hitter David Andriese, but Prestridge got a little too aggressive leading off second, and Sapp picked him off for out number two. Andriese drew a walk as did Francisco Tellez and Kyle Boudreau, but Nick Vilter flew out to right to end the inning.

The Highlanders kept the pressure on Sapp in the bottom of the second as Alex Rubanowitz opened the inning with a double and moved to third on a Matt Ellis ground out. That ended Sapp's evening as Collin Orellana (1-0) came on in relief. Orellana's third pitch plunked Bolasky to put runners on the corners, but Chavez struck out swinging, and Bolasky was caught stealing to end the threat.

UC Riverside's Kevin Sprague (1-1) made his first start of the season for the Highlanders, allowing just one hit through the first two innings of play. In the top of the third, however, Justin Gheorghe laced a one-out double down the right field line, and one batter later, Greg Allen's sharp single to third tied the game at one.

Sprague appeared to tire in the fourth as he gave up a pair of doubles and a single to put the Aztecs (24-24) up 3-1. UCR put a runner on with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but another caught stealing ended that inning as well.

The Highlanders cut the lead to one in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a lead off triple by Chavez and an RBI fielder's choice by David Andriese. The sixth ended on yet another base-running snafu as the Highlanders started Andriese with one out, but Francisco Tellez lined out to the pitcher, and Andriese was doubled up easily.

The Aztecs scored single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth for the final 6-2 margin of victory.

UC Riverside remains at home this weekend as the Highlanders host #4 Cal State Fullerton for a three-game Big West Conference series.

San Diego State Tops UC Riverside Baseball, 6-2

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