Softball Extends Win Streak to Five Games with 6-4 Win Over Santa Clara

Box Score RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Winning its fifth consecutive game, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) women's softball team topped the visiting Santa Clara University (SCU) Broncos, 6-4, in the sixth game of the annual Highlander Classic on Saturday, Feb. 15 at Amy S. Harrison Field on the campus of UCR.

For the seventh time in eight games this season, the Highlanders opened the scoring, scoring thrice in the bottom of the first inning.

UCR (5-3) opened its half of the initial stanza by loading the bases with no outs on a hit batter, a walk and a single. Senior starting RHP Melanie Olmos (Riverside, Calif. / Grand Terrace HS) also drew a walk, forcing in senior 3B Emily "Emma" Ramelot (Riverside, Calif. / Martin Luther King HS) with the game's first run. After a strikeout, sophomore C Jantzen Owen (Covina, Calif. / Charter Oak HS) also drew a walk, forcing in senior RF Danielle Ortega (Granada Hills, Calif. / Bishop Alemany HS) with the game's second run. Freshman SS Marissa Burk (Fontana, Calif. / Fontana HS) socked a RBI single and the Highlanders led, 3-0.

Santa Clara (4-4) crept to within 3-2 with a pair of tallies in the top of the third before UCR added solo scores in the third, fourth and fifth frames to lead, 6-2. During that time, freshman RHP Briza Blanco (Murrieta, Calif. / Vista Murrieta HS) came on in relief and recorded the final of the third inning and also retired the side in the fourth and fifth (2-1/3 innings total).

In the top of the sixth, sophomore RHP Chrys Hildebrand (Yorba Linda, Calif. / Esperanza HS) entered the game and pitched the final two innings, but was touched for a run in each inning.

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UCR continues its season on Sunday, Feb. 16, when it continues to host its annual Highlander Classic with games at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. 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.

In earlier action Saturday, UTEP (2-6) opened the day's play with a 2-0 win over Idaho State before Santa Clara outlasted Idaho State (2-7), 8-4.

In Sunday's action, UTEP faces Santa Clara at 9 a.m., then UTEP takes on UCR at 11:30 a.m. before UCR concludes the day's play when it hosts Idaho State at 2 p.m.