Tucker Juline
8
UC Riverside UCR 6-20, 0-8 Big West
9
Winner Cal Poly CP 9-18, 5-6 Big West
UC Riverside UCR
6-20, 0-8 Big West
8
Final
9
Cal Poly CP
9-18, 5-6 Big West
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UC Riverside UCR 0 1 1 0 2 0 2 0 2 8 12 1
Cal Poly CP 2 2 1 1 1 0 1 1 X 9 12 0

W: Brooks, Steven (2-1) L: Juline, Tucker (1-3) S: Scott, Kyle (3)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Highlanders Downed in Close Game with Mustangs

SAN LUIS OBISPO. Calif. - The University of California, Riverside Highlanders returned to Cal Poly's Baggett Stadium to face the Mustangs in the second game of a three-game Big West series. The Highlanders trailed for most of the game but fought to remain within a few runs of Cal Poly in hopes of chasing down the Mustangs. 

Cal Poly bats were busy in the first inning, getting two runs across for an early lead. Anthony McFarland answered back in the next frame with a single to score Dominic Martinez and get the Highlanders on the board. The run cut the Mustangs lead in half, 2-1.

The Mustangs piled two more runs on in the bottom of the second, increasing their lead 4-1. 

Anthony Mata scored Jacob Shanks with a sacrifice fly in the following frame, bringing the Highlanders within two runs of Cal Poly.

In the bottom of the third and fourth, the Mustangs tacked on one more run a piece, 6-2, to extend their lead over UCR.

The Highlanders weren't going down without a fight, with Mata coming in clutch again with a two-run double in the top of the fifth, slicing the deficit to 6-4. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Cal Poly stayed hot with a solo homerun.

Nick Poss singled to left field to score two Highlander runs in the top of the seventh, making it a one-run ballgame, 7-6, with Cal Poly narrowly hanging onto the lead. 

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Highlanders walked a Mustang run across. A sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the eighth lifted the Mustangs up 9-6.

The Highlanders threatened in the top of the ninth inning. A Jacob Shanks RBI single scored Alfredo Capacete to get things going. Jayden Lopez singled to score Nick Poss, getting the Highlanders within one run of the Mustangs in the final inning, 9-8. Despite getting runners in scoring position, UC Riverside wasn't able to score. 

Nick Poss hit three for four with two RBI and two runs to lead the Highlanders offensively. Anthony Mata went one for four with three RBI, and Alfredo Capacete went two for four with three runs to keep UC Riverside alive.

The Highlanders return for the third and final game of the series tomorrow, April 8 at 1 PM.