Riverside—For the second game in a row, the UC Riverside Softball Team won in walk-off fashion on a hit by Hannah Rodriguez. This time it was a two out single up the middle in the bottom of the eight that brought in Courtnie Ploesch for the, 4-3, win over UC Santa Barbara, earning the Highlanders their first sweep of the Gauchos since joining the Big West. Coming into this weekend's series, UCR was 6-36 all time against UC Santa Barbara.
Maddie Richard, who went 3 for 3 at the plate, singled to led off the bottom of the first. After a Haley Harris fly out, Natalie Sanchez came to bat and homered to right center field, giving the home team a 2-0 advantage.
The game was delayed by rain for 30 minutes in the bottom of the second and neither scored until the top of the fourth, when the Gauchos got a run across. They had two hits and were aided by two fielding errors.
UC Santa Barbara (20-20, 3-3) would tie the game in the top of the fifth on an RBI single, the last of three straight hits by the visitors. The score would remain tied until the top of the seventh, when Kristen Clark homered to straight away center field for to the go-ahead run and and what appeared to be the game winning score.
In the bottom of the seventh, Chelsey Holley stepped into the box with the bases full and two out. She singled off the pitcher's glove, scoring Richard and extending the game.
The first two Gauchos were retired in the top of the eighth, before Emily Brucelas singled up the middle. Brucelas would be cut down on an inning ending ground ball that Harris flipped to Rodriguez for the putout.
Stephanie Tickemyer reached on an error by the shortstop to lead off the Highlander inning. The next hitter Courtnie Ploesch, also reached on error. this time by first base. The catcher tried to pick off Ploesch, but the throw went into right field, allowing Tickemyer to advance to third. Ploesch then stole second, and on a pitch that got away from the catcher, Tickemyer got caught in a rundown for the first out of the inning. Ploesch would move up to third on the play, meanwhile Rodriguez was at the plate with the count full, 3-2. She hit a line drive up the middle that was deflected by the pitcher enough for Ploesch to speed home from third to score the game winning run.
For Rodriguez, a freshman, it was her third walk-off hit of the season. Tayler Misfeldt (17-8) went the distance for the Highlanders, registering her third win on the weekend.
The, 4-3, victory earned UCR its first series win over UC Santa Barbara since 2010, and brought their conference to .500 at 3-3. Tuesday April 12th, they travel to Bakersfield for a single game against the Roadrunners at 1 pm.
