Baseball Can't Hold Lead, Falls 8-7 To San Diego State

Tuesday, February 25

Riverside, CA

6:00 pm

UC Riverside

3-5

San Diego State

6-2

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
San Diego State	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	2	2	8	18	1
UC Riverside	0	5	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	7	13	1

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Baseball Can't Hold Lead, Falls 8-7 To San Diego State

2/25/2014 10:34:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Riverside—The UC Riverside Baseball Team led San Diego State 7-1 heading into the seventh inning Tuesday evening, but the bullpen couldn't hold the lead, and the Aztecs came back for an 8-7 victory (box score).

Highlanders starter Zach Varela scattered eight hits over the first six innings, allowing just a single run in the top of the first. Meanwhile, the UCR offense scored five in the bottom of the second, ending Aztecs' starter Brett Seeburger's day after just five outs.

Relief pitcher TJ Kendzora stopped the bleeding, but UC Riverside (3-5) scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth against Kendzora and Brandon Thomas. San Diego State used four more pitchers on the night, but the combination of Orlando Meza, Marcus Reyes, Cody Thompson (1-0) and Michael Cederoth held the Highlanders in check the rest of the way allowing four hits over 4.2 innings.

Varela ran out of gas in the top of the seventh as the Aztecs loaded the bases on two singles and a walk with nobody out. A Greg Allen fielder's choice scored Brad Haynal to cut the UCR lead to five and end Varela's evening. Dylan Stuart came on in relief, and he allowed an RBI double and a sac fly before recording the final out of the inning.

The first two batters in the San Diego State (6-2) eighth singled, and Kevin Sprague replaced Stuart on the mound. Sprague recorded the first out of the inning on a fielder's choice, but the next batter, C.J. Saylor, singled to center to make it 7-5 Highlanders. Two batters later, an Allen single brought the Aztecs to within one. That also brought Jordan Kron (0-2) out of the UC Riverside pen, and he got Tim Zier to ground to short to end the inning.

Ryan Muno singled up the middle to start the top of the ninth, and pinch runner Andrew Brown promptly stole second. After Seby Zavala lined out for the first out of the inning, Tyler Adkison grounded out to short advancing Brown to third with two outs. The next batter, Ty France, doubled over center fielder Devyn Bolasky's head to tie the score at seven.

Tanner Reibenspies followed with a single into the hole at short, and Austin Roberts couldn't come up with the ball which allowed France to score what would prove to be the game-winning run.

The Highlanders got their lead-off man on in the bottom of the ninth as David Andriese began the frame with a single through the right side. He move to second on a Cody Hough sac bunt, and to third on a passed ball, but Nick Vilter and pinch-hitter Robby Witt struck out to end the ballgame.

Andriese and Tellez each had three hits on the day for UC Riverside, and Tellez and Chavez drove in two runs apiece,

The Highlanders travel to Bakersfield this weekend for a three-game series with the Roadrunners.