MORAGA, Calif. – The UC Riverside Highlanders baseball team traveled to the East Bay of Northern California for a three-game series against the Gaels of Saint Mary's College (SMC) as they continue working through their pre-conference slate. Coming off two weekday at-home wins, a 14-2 blowout against California Baptist and an eleventh inning 3-2 walk-off win against UNLV, the Highlanders were looking to continue that momentum on the road.
Cole Percival started on the mound for the Highlanders in his third appearance this year, having opened the season against UCLA and starting in game one of the Crosstown Showdown series last weekend against California Baptist. He started and ended his first inning with a strikeout, ultimately throwing six complete innings with two runs on seven hits, two walks and three strikeouts.
Kevin West would collect the win, improving his record to 1-1 in his fourth appearance for the Highlanders. He would throw the seventh inning and face one batter in the eighth in relief for Percival. Andre Ganillo had another standout appearance, picking up the save and closing the last two innings for the Highlanders, striking out five of the seven batters he faced letting up no hits.
The Gaels would score first, and lead for most of the game, tallying a pair of runs in the second and third innings that would loom over UCR until the eighth inning. A trio of base hits, two of them infield singles, loaded the bases for
Ethan Payne, who grounded out to second base to send
Garrett Calvert home for UCR's first run. Highlander pitching and defense worked tirelessly to hold the Gaels scoreless for the last six innings of the game. Skyler de los Reyes continues to impress at shortstop, expertly fielding a line drive to end the fourth inning.
Travis Bohall had a big catch in center field as well, fielding another hard hit SMC line drive to contribute to a three-up, three-down Highlander inning.
A two-run home run from
Cole Pofek in the eighth inning would save the game for the Highlanders, putting them ahead 3-2 to win. The Highlanders improve to 4-5 overall, extending their current win streak to three. Head Coach Troy Percival commented, "The boys battled hard and executed a complete team effort. Our defense was amazing, the pitching staff did a great job, and of course the clutch two-run home run by Pofek."
The series continues in Moraga tomorrow, February 29 at 1:00 PM.
