Riverside—The UC Riverside Softball team avoided being swept in their series against Hawai'i thanks to a four-hit complete game shutout from freshman Anessa Cepeda. The Highlanders dropped to a close 3-2 decision in the first game of the day and earned a 2-0 victory in the series finale.
Hawai'i 3, UC Riverside 2
In the first game of the day, the Rainbow Wahine got a solo homerun from Keike Carlos that broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh, which turned out to be the game winner.
The visitors would score first, when Tayana Mata singled in Sarah Muzik in the top of the third to take a 1-0 lead. UCR would get on the board in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Courtnie Ploesch that scored Jenna Curtan.
Mata would again drive in a run, this time Carlos, to retake the lead, 2-1 in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the sixth with two outs, Curtan singled down the left field line. She then stole second base with Chelsey Holley at the plate. Holley singled with the count full, 3-2, scoring Curtan from second and tying the game at two apiece.
Carlos led off the top of the seventh with a solo shot to left, that broke the 2-2 tie. The Highlanders were unable to get a run across in the bottom of the seventh and fell, 3-2.
Tayler Misfeldt was handed her second loss of the series, after winning four straight decisions. Maddy Richard went 1-for-3, snapping her streak of five straight three-hit games.
Hawai'i 0, UC Riverside 2
In the second game of the day, the series finale, UCR got a four-hit complete game shutout from Anessa Cepeda en route to a 2-0 win, that kept the Highlanders from being swept by the Rainbow Wahine.
Cepeda, a freshman from Lakewood, CA made her second start of the season. She has primarily been used as a pinch runner and infield replacement this season. She was matched up against Hawai'i ace and game one winner Brittany Hitchcock.
Both pitchers kept a clean sheet until the top of the third, when the Highlanders put up two.
Hannah Rodriguez got aboard on an error by the shortstop to lead off the home half of the third. She moved into scoring position on a groundout. With two out, Curtan singled to left, scoring Rodriguez and bringing up Natalie Sanchez. Sanchez would also single to left field, her second hit of the game, to set the table for Holley with two aboard. Holley would hit a bloop single into right field that allowed Curtan to score from second making it a 2-0 game.
Cepeda would take the two-run lead into the sixth, when Hawai'i had runners on first and third with two out. She got pinch-hitter Breanna Ojala to groundout to third baseman Shylene Helms to end the threat.
In the top the seventh, Cepeda got the leadoff hitter to groundout to Sanchez, who fielded cleanly and stepped on the bag for the first out of the inning. Muzik then hit a sharp groundball up the middle that deflected off of Cepeda's glove for a hit. Nicole Lopez lined out to Haley Harris, who then fired over to Sanchez at first ahead of a diving Muzik for the game ending double play.
The 2-0 win helped UC Riverside avoid being swept the second time in three Big West series. Cepeda (1-0) earned the first win of her career.
The Highlanders will be on the road at UC Davis in a double header on Saturday, April 23rd and the series finale Sunday the 24th.
