Box Score RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Leading practically from start to finish for the first time this season, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) women's softball team posted a 5-0 non-conference home victory over the visiting San Diego State University (SDSU) Aztecs Wednesday, Feb. 12 at Amy S. Harrison Field on the campus of UCR.
Once again, the Highlanders opened the scoring when the No. 9 batter, sophomore CF
Haylee Kela (Long Beach, Calif. / Lakewood HS) tripled to right-center field, plating freshman 2B
Lauryn Garewal (Banning, Calif. / Banning HS), who had reached base ahead of Kela on a fielder's choice.
UCR (3-3) scored four in the fourth. Senior starting RHP
Melanie Olmos (Riverside, Calif. / Grand Terrace HS), who pitched the first inning and later became the designated player, socked a 1-0 pitch deep over the center-field fence to UCR a 2-0 advantage. Later in the fourth, senior 3B
Emma Ramelot (Riverside, Calif. / Martin Luther King HS) delivered a RBI single and senior 1B
Sarah Parten (Bellflower, Calif. / Mayfair HS) smacked a two-run single to account for rest of the scoring.
Freshman RHP
Briza Blanco (Murrieta, Calif. / Vista Murrieta HS) came on in relief of Olmos in the top of the second inning and scattered four hits (two of which did not leave the infield) in 4.0+ innings. In the sixth, senior RHP reliever
Jacy Boles (Roseville, Calif. / Woodcreek HS) shut down the Aztecs over the final two frames to preserve the 5-0 advantage.
"Our defense did a very nice job," said UCR fourth-year head softball coach
Nikki Palmer, "San Diego State is a strong team and we were able to find a way to keep it quiet.
"It was nice to see our pitchers work as a team," continued Palmer. "Briza (Blanco) did a great job pitching. I was happy that our pitchers shutout that team," concluded Palmer.
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UCR continues its season this weekend on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Feb.14, 15, 16, when it hosts annual Highlander Classic with games at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day at Amy S. Harrison Field on the UCR campus. Also participating in the tournament are the Idaho State University (ISU) Bengals, the Santa Clara University (SCU) Broncos, and the University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) Miners.
