RIVERSIDE, Calif. - If anything was going to deny an upstart UC Riverside in Sunday's series finale against Cal Poly, one would be hard-pressed to find a reason for it.
Momentum rolled over from Saturday's gritty game two win over the Mustangs, as the Highlanders used a stellar outing from Chrys Hildebrand and offensive capitalization in a defensive 1-0 series-clinching win over Cal Poly at Amy S. Harrison Field.
"Yesterday absolutely created strong momentum for our women," UCR head coach Nikki Palmer said. "They felt the fight and the confidence that they can come back and take a game whenever they want."
Allison Troche reached base for the sixth consecutive game on a single up the middle in the second inning, as Cal Poly fumbled a sharply hit ball that allowed Troche to come home after swiping third for her third stolen base and fourth run of the year.
Kat Montuya extended her team-high hitting streak to eight games with a leadoff double in the third inning, but the Mustangs escaped the offensive threat. Montuya, one of six Highlanders to record a hit, ended the series finale going 1 for 2.
"Our team really buckled down this weekend and worked together to trust each individual member to be a necessary part of taking the weekend series," Palmer said.
Hildebrand, who earned her second win of the year, was stellar in the circle for UCR in Sunday's finale. The San Jose State transfer went 5.0 innings with three strikeouts, three hits and no runs while also escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning. Briza Blanco relieved Hildebrand in the sixth and notched the first save of her career.
"I re-grounded myself and tried not to do too much," Hildebrand said. "I let my teammates work and know that they could get the outs behind me, and that's exactly what they did."
UC Riverside will look to carry the momentum into next weekend, welcoming Cal State Fullerton to Riverside for a three-game series starting April 2.
"We have a tough opponent in front of us coming up this next weekend," Palmer said, "and now we have a strong understanding of what we're capable of moving forward, which will greatly benefit us the rest of the way."
