Riverside–The UC Riverside Softball Team dropped both games of the double-header against CSU Bakersfield Wednesday afternoon despite a homerun, and four RBIs from Rebecca Faulkner.
GAME ONE
CSU Bakersfield 5, UCR 2
UCR (21-18, 3-6) starter Haley Marschall had a no-hitter going through four innings with four strikeouts, all looking. The only base runner was reached via a hit-by-pitch in the third.
The Highlanders were able to put together three hits in the first three frames, before plating the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth on three hits.
Brittney Garcia and Chelsey Holley got the rally started with singles to begin the inning. With one out, Rebecca Faulkner laced a single to right center that brought in Garcia and Holley to make it 2-0.
Marschall issued back-to-back walks to start the fifth. She would retired one batter, before walking another Roadrunner to load the bases.
Faulkner then came on in relief, and the first batter she faced hit a groundball to Lockwood at third, Her throw to the plate bounced off the top of the runners helmet allowing to Julea Cavazos to score and Emily Harrison to come around from second as well, tying the game at two apiece.
CSU Bakersfield's (7-28, 1-8) Kaylynn Burt then singled to right field to bring in two more Roadrunners. The visitors tacked another run in the top of the seventh to go ahead 5-2.
The Highlanders went down in order in the bottom of the seventh to end the game. Marshall dropped to 6-7 with the loss, while Roadrunner starter Lyndsay Klimenko moved to 2-10 on the year.
GAME TWO
CSU Bakersfield 3, UCR 2-10 Innings
In the second game of the day, starters Jacy Boles and Summer Evans engaged in a pitcher's duel where neither yielded a run for the first eight innings of the game.
Brittney Garcia nearly ended the game in the bottom of the seventh, but her fly ball was snagged by the left fielder against the fence.
The visitors got on the board in the top of the ninth thanks to an RBI single through the right side of the infield that scored Cavazos, who began the inning at second base via the international tie-break rule.
CSU Bakersfield (8-28, 1-8) tacked on a second run in the ninth on fielder's choice.
To start the home half of the ninth, Jenae Lockwood was placed on second. She would come in to score on Faulkner's first homer of the season, a line drive shot over the left field fence.
With two out in the top of 10th, Cavazos hit a bloop double down the left filed line to brought in the go ahead run.
Marshall began the 10th frame on second, and would get to third with one out, but the Highlanders had a pair of groundouts to end the game.
Evans went to distance for Bakersfield to improve her record to 6-12.
Faulkner would get the loss, and drop to 0-3 on the year. She would finish the day with four hits, a homer, and four RBIs.
The Highlanders resume Big West this weekend, when they host UC Davis April 22-23. Sunday the team will recognize Softball alumni before the series finale at 1:30 pm.
