Riverside—The UC Riverside Softball Team travels to the Aloha State Friday, March 27 to take on Hawai'i in its first Big West series of the year.
The Highlanders head into the weekend 28-7, setting a new single-season record for wins in the program's Division I-era while participating in the LMU Invitational March 20-22.
While at the tournament Chelsea Ponce through the first no-hitter in the program's Division I history during a 7-0 shutout against Bethune Cookman. Great performances earned Ponce Big West Pitcher of the Week and Haley Harris Big West Player of the Week for games played March 16-22. Harris hit .611 on the weekend, including a two-run home run to help solidify a win over Seattle.
Earning her 20th win over the weekend, Ponce took over as the nation's leader in victories. In addition, she leads the Big West with a 1.10 era.
| Projected Highlanders Lineup |
| (By Position) |
| Pos | # | Name | Yr | B/T | Avg | OBP | SLG | H | RBI |
| C | 4 | Chelsey Holley | Fr. | R/R | .241 | .295 | .389 | 13 | 11 |
| 1B | 27 | Rebecca Faulkner | Fr. | R/L | .337 | .404 | .579 | 32 | 29 |
| 2B | 15 | Haley Harris | So. | R/R | .409 | .455 | .545 | 45 | 16 |
| 3B | 8 | Taylor Wright | Sr. | R/R | .303 | .380 | .348 | 27 | 7 |
| SS | 10 | Kris DeAnda | Sr. | R/R | .333 | .404 | .387 | 31 | 15 |
| RF | 2 | Karina Romero | So. | R/R | .350 | .395 | .417 | 36 | 13 |
| CF | 19 | Jenna Curtan | Fr. | L/L | .352 | .466 | .444 | 38 | 11 |
| LF | 6 | Stephanie Tickemyer | So. | R/R | .273 | .364 | .303 | 18 | 8 |
| DP | 25 | Erika Campbell | Jr. | L/L | .237 | .314 | .276 | 18 | 10 |
GAME NOTESAND THEY'RE OFFAt 28-7 overall the Highlanders are off to their best start in the program's Division I-era, topping the previous single-season win record of 25 set of the 2012 squad.
FOR IT'S 1, 2, 3 STRIKES YOU'RE OUTFive games into the 2015 season and Chelsea Ponce is already etching her name in the UCR softball record books, recording the most strike outs in a single game in the program's Division I-era. In the Highlanders 3-1 victory over Seattle on Feb. 8, 2015, Ponce threw all seven frames, recording 13 strike outs and passing the previous single-game record of 11 held by Stephanie Marshall.
| Single-Game Strikouts |
| Strikouts | Player | Game | Date |
| 13 | Chelsea Ponce | Seattle | February 8, 2015 |
| 11 | Chelsea Ponce | Fairleigh Dickinson | March 20, 2015 |
| 11 | Stephanie Marshall | @ UC Davis | April 9, 2006 |
| 10 | Christin Songer | Pacific | April 12, 2008 |
| 10 | Jordyn McDonald | CSU Bakersfield | March 28, 2012 |
| 9 | Marissa Alvidrez | Southern Illinois | February, 7, 2009 |
| 9 | Stephanie Marshall | San Jose State | February 10, 2007 |
| 9 | Alyssa Razo | vs. Southern Utah | February 16, 2014 |
| 9 | Chelsea Ponce | Pacific | February 6, 2015 |
CLIMBING THE CHARTSPitching in 27 games so far this season, Chelsea Ponce has already recorded 20 wins with 21 games remaining. In game one of the Highlanders double-header against Weber State, Ponce threw all seven innings, striking out seven, giving up just five hits and earning her fifth shut out of the season. Her 20 victories lead the nation for most wins for games through March 22.
| UCR Single-Season Wins |
| Wins | Player | Season |
| 20 | Chelsea Ponce | 2015 |
| 15 | Marissa Alvidrez | 2010 |
| 13 | Alyssa Razo | 2014 |
| 13 | Stephanie Marshall | 2006 |
| 10 | Christin Songer | 2008 |
| 10 | Jordyn McDonald | 2012 |
| 2015 NCAA Division I Victories |
| Wins | Player | School |
| 20 | Chelsea Ponce | UCR |
| 18 | Alicia Pille | Kansas |
| 18 | McKenna Bull | BYU |
| 18 | Erica Romero | San Diego State |
| 17 | Sara Groenewegen | Minnesota |
| 17 | Kylee Studioso | Central Arkansas |
| 17 | Lacey Waldrop | Florida State |
| 16 | Krista Menke | North Dakota State |
| 16 | Chelsea Wilkinson | Georgia |
| 16 | Alexis Silkwood | Mississippi State |
GOING, GOING GONEIn the Highlanders' 10-2 rout against Sand Diego on the final day of the Amy S. Harrison Classic, catcher Natalie Sanchez blasted back-to-back home runs, both sailing over the fence in left-center.
Sanchez is the first Highlander to hit two home-runs in a single game since Kaylie Atkinson smashed two at Cal State Fullerton on April 22, 2012.
EXTRA FRAMESWhile competing in the Fresno State Kick-Off Feb. 13-15, the Highlanders were victorious, 7-6, in a four-hour, 13-inning battle against Sacramento State. That is a tie for the second-most innings pitched in a single game during the program's Division I-era. In 2010 UC Riverside topped Pacific 4-3 in the second game of the day's double-header.
The most innings pitched by a Highlander team was in 2002, when UC Riverside went back-and-forth with Cal Poly in a 14 inning dual that ended with the blue and gold on top, 1-0
.SAVED!Just 20 games into the season freshman Rebecca Faulkner recorded her fourth save in a 2-1 victory over UT-Arlington.
During the Amy S. Harrison Classic, Faulkner took over for Chelsea Ponce against Michigan State, recording her third save in a 9-2 win and breaking the Highlanders' single-season record for most saves.
| Single-Season Wins |
| Saves | Player | Season |
| 4 | Rebecca Faulkner | 2015 |
| 3 | Tayler Misfeldt | 2015 |
| 2 | Taylor Alvarez | 2013 |
| 2 | Christin Songer | 2005 |
| 2 | Marissa Alvidrez | 2008 |
CONNECTIONSThe Highlanders currently register the highest team batting average through 35 games in the program's Division I-era. The team is batting .310, this is is first time a UCR squad has batted over .300 through 35 games in its Division I history.
CATCH ME IF YOU CANThe Highlanders stole 90 bases during the 2013 season, setting the program Division I record in the process. UCR ended the season ranked 28th in the nation in stolen bases per game, with graduated senior Ariel Shore ranking 58th individually in that category, and Dionne Anderson ranking 77th.
In 2014, Anderson set the program's Division I mark for most stolen bases in a single-season when she stole her 27th base in just the 27th game of the year on March 12 against Fairleigh Dickinson. She also topped Shore as the program's Division I leader in career stolen bases, and finishing her career with 86. The all-time program record for career stolen bases is 107, set by Deanna Dresman from 1988-91. The Highlanders recorded 77 stolen bases in 51 games, with Anderson's 47 leading the team. Anderson also ranked second in the nation in that category, while the team was 35th.
Anderson also broke the Big West Conference single-season record for stolen bases, and is second on the all-time league charts for career stolen bases.
Through 35 games this season the Highlanders are 31-for-39 in stolen base attempts.
BREAKING RECORDSUCR finished the 2012 season with a 25-28 overall record, setting a program Division I mark for most wins in a season and for best winning percentage. The Highlanders notched 23 wins in 2014, giving them the second-most wins in the program's Division I era. With 25 games left in the season, UCR has already matched 23 wins and has a large chance to at least tie the record at the LMU Invitational.
| Best Winning Pct. (DI) |
| .800 | 2015 |
| .472 | 2012 |
| .449 | 2006 |
| .426 | 2014 |
| Most Wins (DI) |
| 28 x | 2015 |
| 25 | 2012 |
| 23 | 2014 |
| 22 | 2006 |
| 22 | 2010 |
JUST KEEP SWINGING, JUST KEEP SWINGINGThrough 35 games this season the Highlanders have recorded 10 or more hits in 15 games. The last time UCR recorded 12 or more games with double-digit hits was in 2012 when the registered 13 games through the entire season.
TAKENThe Highlanders won their first Big West series of the 2014 season April 12-13 at Cal State Fullerton by taking two of three games—the first series win since April 27-28, 2013 against Cal Poly.
THE 28TH HOLEUCR's 28 wins so far heading into Big West Conference play are the most in the team's Division I history.
GRAND SLAM BREAKFASTHaley Harris belted a walk-off grand slam to give the Highlanders a 6-5 win over Dartmouth on March 20. It was the second grand slam for UCR in 2014, and the first walk-off win for UC Riverside since a 7-5 win on February 24, 2013 against Weber State.
COMEBACK KIDSIn 11 of UC Riverside's 23 wins in 2014, the team rallied back from deficits for the victory
| Date | Opponent | Deficit | Final Score |
| Feb. 14 | Bakersfield | 2 runs | 5-3 |
| Feb. 15 | Southern Utah | 2 runs | 5-2 |
| Feb. 22 | Bakersfield | 8 runs | 15-10 |
| Feb. 27 | Sacred Heart | 4 runs | 6-5 |
| Mar. 6 | Belmont | 5 runs | 6-5 |
| Mar. 9 | Utah State | 6 runs | 8-6 |
| Mar. 12 | Fairleigh Dickinson | 1 run | 6-2 |
| Mar. 12 | Fairleigh Dickinson | 2 runs | 4-2 |
| Mar. 20 | Dartmouth | 4 runs | 6-5 |
| Mar. 21 | Canisius | 1 run | 11-1 |
| Mar. 22 | Loyola Marymount | 3 runs | 9-7 |
26.2The Highlanders lost a 10-inning, three hour 29 minute marathon on March 3, 2014 against Loyola Chicago. It is the most innings played for UCR since an 11-inning affair at Cal State Northridge on May 8, 2011.
DOUBLE-DIGIT AFFAIRSUCR scored 15 runs in a 15-10 win over Bakersfield on February 22, 2014—the most runs scored since a 16-run outburst against Eastern Kentucky on March 7, 2012. The Highlanders also recorded season-highs of 15 hits on two occasions (Feb. 8, 2014 vs. New Mexico and Mar. 22, 2014 at Loyola Marymount), the most since banging out 16 vs Idaho State on March 4, 2011.
SHUT THE FRONT DOORThe Highlanders shut out Sacramento State, 1-0, on February 16, 2014—the team's first shutout since an 8-0 victory over Cal Poly on April 27, 2013. UCR now has four shutouts on the year. The program Division I record for most shutouts in a season in seven, set in 2008.
Conversely, the Highlanders were shut out nine times last season, including back-to-back games at Long Beach State on April 5, 2014.
FAST FIVEUC Riverside won five games in a row from March 12-21 for the first time since a six-game win streak from March 10-13, 2013. That six-game streak is the longest in the program's Division I history.
STOP, THIEF!UCR stole nine bases against Southern Utah on March 11, 2013, 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.
ALL-BIG WESTUC Riverside placed one player on the Big West All-Conference Team last season, with outfielder Dionne Anderson earning a All-Big West First-Team award. She was the fourth Highlander to earn first-team honor since UCR joined the BIg West. Andersron led UC Riverside in multiple catagories during the 2014 season, including hitting a team-best .386 while slugging .494 with an on-base percentage of .505. She tallied 61 hits while scoring 34 times, and driving in 17. The outfielder also broke the program and Big West single-season records for stolen bases, finishing the year at 47, and is second all-time on the Big West career steals chart. She closed out the season second in the nation in stolen bases.
