RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The University of California, Riverside (UCR) baseball team opened the 2021 season with a night game at the Riverside Sports Complex on March 6, 2021, kicking off a two-day, three-game nonconference series against the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Anteaters.
Head Coach
Justin Johnson earned his first win at the helm of the Highlanders on Opening Day with a 6-5 walk-off victory. He said, "To get the walk-off win today, with a whole year without playing, I am so proud of the guys. Everybody that played a role in getting us back on the field has been amazing and I am so happy to be back. Tonight especially, I am so proud of the guys for battling. We didn't have a lot of practice time to get ready, which shows these guys really can get out there and battle. I couldn't be happier for the guys to get this win, especially after a year without games."
Redshirt Freshman
Zach Jacobs took the mound for the Highlanders, igniting a pitchers duel with the Anteaters RHP Trenton Denholm that kept the game scoreless through the top of the third inning.
Travis Bohall started things off for UC Riverside, singling to left field with two outs on the board, before stealing second to place himself in scoring position.
Cole Pofek belted a single to center field to send Bohall home for the first run of the 2021 season.
Jacob Shanks advanced Pofek to third on a base hit. A throwing error by UC Irvine's catcher sent Pofek and Shanks home, extending UCR's early lead to 3-0. Before the Anteaters could extricate themselves from the inning, Nate Webb hit an RBI base hit to left field, sending Orick home for a 4-0 lead as they entered the top of the fourth.
The Anteaters weren't about to roll over, answering back to the Highlanders four-run inning with a five-run top of the fourth inning, to take a narrow one-run lead, 5-4, as they headed into the bottom of the fourth.
In the bottom of the sixth, Nate Webb led off the inning and sent a soaring double to left center, as the Highlanders planned their comeback over the Anteaters.
Taylor Juline singled to second base, while him and Webb were both able to advance on a throwing error by UC Irvine's second baseman. Webb advanced home on the error, tying the game up 5-5.
The teams battled for an edge in the final stretch of the game, until the bottom of the ninth inning. Freshman
Anthony Mata walked to get on base, and
Ethan Payne executed a sacrifice bunt to advance him to second.
Ely Stuart singled down the right field line to drive Mata home for the walk-off win against UC Irvine, 6-5.
Coach Johnson is encouraged heading into tomorrow after the win, saying, "The best thing I saw today was the way guys fought through the entire game. We got ahead 4-0 and then they punched us right back in the mouth and took a 5-4 lead. Instead of rolling over, our guys fought and battled and earned a great win. I couldn't be prouder of them for that."
Johnson looks to tomorrow's doubleheader and knows it'll be a fight. He said, "The plan to carry the momentum into tomorrow is to just get these guys to continue to battle. Obviously, Irvine is going to come back hungry tomorrow, and they're a great baseball team. They've been playing great baseball this whole year, so far sweeping Washington and playing UCLA and getting a win there, so they are a really good baseball team and they are going to really do whatever they can to win the series tomorrow. So just knowing how good this team is and what we have ahead is keeping us prepared to come and battle again tomorrow."
The Highlanders and the Anteaters return to the Plex tomorrow, March 7 at noon for a doubleheader with 45 minutes between the games to complete the series. As a reminder, home games at the Plex on the campus of UC Riverside will be played without fans in attendance until further notice.
