Riverside, CA–The UC Riverside Softball Team picked up its second straight Big West series win of 2017 with a, 2-0, victory over Cal Poly in the second game of the series. In the season finale, the Mustangs scored two runs in the eighth to win, 2-0, and avoid the sweep.
GAME ONE UCR 2, Cal Poly 0
In the first game of the day, the Highlanders got a combined four-hit shutout from Haley Marschall and Anessa Cepeda in the team's, 2-0, victory over the Mustangs.
Marshall, who got the start, allowed back-to-back one out hits before escaping the first inning without any damage done. In the second inning, Marschall allowed a lead-off double, which caused Coach Palmer to signal for Anessa Cepeda.
Cal Poly starter Lindsey Chalmers allowed just one hit until the fifth, when UCR broke through.
With one out, seniors Haley Harris and Shylene Helms drew back-to-back walks. Fellow senior Stephanie Tickemyer then hit a groundball up the middle. The second baseman fielded the ball, stepped on second and threw out of the reach of the firstbaseman, allowing Harris to score the game's first run and Tickemyer to advance to second.
Center fielder Jenna Curtan battled to a full count after falling behind 0-2 to single up the middle, bringing in Tickemyer to make it a 2-0 ball game.
The two runs were more than enough for Cepeda, who allowed just one-hit, to close out the game as she faced just six batters in the sixth and seventh en route to the, 2-0, series securing win.
Her record improved to 7-2, while Chalmers fell to 12-7 on the year.
GAME TWO Cal Poly 2, UCR 0
For the second time this weekend, Tayler Misfeldt and Sierra Hyland engaged in a pitcher's duel that went beyond seven innings. This time however, the Mustangs came away with a, 2-0, series salvaging win.
Misfeldt scattered five hits on her way to the eighth, when she issued a lead-off walk to Stephanie Heyward.
Rebecca Faulkner then came on in relief, and on the first pitch to the at-bat to Chelsea Convissar, UCR catcher Jenae Lockwood threw to first to pick-off Heyward, but her throw bounced off the runner into the visiting dugout. Heyward was directed to advance to third, and came in to score on a triple to right center by Convissar.
Hyland, who had a no-hitter going, stepped in the box and singled up the middle to add an insurance run. The Highlanders kept any further from occurring, but would be facing a charged-up Hyland with the game on the line.
To start the bottom of eighth, Tickemyer grounded out to short on the first pitch she saw. Curtan then hit an 0-2 offering up the middle to break Hyland's no-hitter. Maddy Richard made the second out of the inning with groundout to second in her final at-bat for the blue and gold.
A first pitch swinging Hannah Rodriguez flied out to center in the Highlanders' final at-bat of the year.
Misfeldt (12-7) was tagged with the loss, while Hyland finished her senior season at 21-12 with the victory.
Seniors Haley Harris, Shylene Helms, Maddy Richard, Stephanie Tickemyer, and Sommer Wilson were recognized in a post-game ceremony on Amy S. Harrison Softball Field.
First year Head Coach Nikki Palmer finishes 2017 with a 28-24 record, 10-11 in the Big West–just one win shy of matching the program record for conference victories.
