CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - UC Riverside closed out its appearance at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on a late Saturday night at Big League Dreams in Cathedral City, falling 3-0 to No. 18 Kentucky in six innings after the contest was cut short due to rain.
 

Despite the loss, UCR still finished 2-2 at one of the nation's most preeminent college softball tournaments with wins over Bethune-Cookman and Texas Tech. 
 

UCR conceded the opening run of the game in the first, but Maddie Heinlin worked her way out of her second bases-loaded jam in as appearances at the Mary Nutter to keep the Highlanders within striking distance. Heinlin followed up her dominant performance against the Red Raiders with a 5.0 inning, four-strikeout performance against the nationally-ranked Wildcats to finish the Mary Nutter with 13 punch outs. 

Lauryn Garewal stretched her hit streak to seven games after going 1 for 3 against the No. 18 Wildcats with a bunt single to third in the bottom of the third. 

UC Riverside will return to the Inland Empire for the final in-season tournament of 2023, hosting the annual Amy S. Harrison Classic next weekend at Amy S. Harrison Field. The Highlanders will start with a doubleheader against Howard on Friday, March 3 starting at 12:00 p.m.