RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Highlanders and the Trailblazers met this morning at The Plex for game two of a four game set, and game one of a double header.
Game 1: Utah Tech 4, UC Riverside 3 (7)
The Trailblazers took game one of the twin bill 4-3. The Highlanders got on the board first when
Lucas Bonham blasted his first homer of the season putting the Highlanders up 2-0.
Getting the start on the mound for the Highlanders was Jayden Aviña. The freshman righty hails from Damien High School in La Verne (Calif.). He ended up pitching 5.2 innings, scattering six hit and striking out two. He took the loss.
Utah Tech got on the board in the third when they tied the game on a RBI single by Kyle McDaniel. The second run came across on an RBI single by Ryan Kroepel.
UCR took the lead back in the home half of the third when
Robert Pitts laced a single to left scoring
Andrew Rivas.
In the fourth Utah Tech tied it up at three and then took the lead in the fifth, 4-3. And that is how it ended.
Game 2: Utah Tech 12, UC Riverside 8
In game two the Highlanders were down early. In the third inning the Trailblazers scored seven runs on four singles. In a blink it was 8-0 Utah Tech.
UC Riverside got two of the runs back in the home half of the fifth as
Esteban Sepulveda singled home
Manoah Chapman. For Sepulveda it was his first RBI as a Highlander, as the catcher joined UCR this year transferring from Pepperdine. The second run came on a sac-fly by
Andrew Rivas scoring
Evan Chavez.
After Utah Tech pushed one more across in the sixth, the Highlanders got two more in the bottom of the inning. Sepulveda delivered on an RBI ground out to third scoring
David Gibbs. Rivas followed with an RBI single to center scoring Chavez.
In the seventh a defensive miscue allowed two to score for Utah Tech and a run scored on a fielders choice putting the Trailblazers up 12-4.
The bottom of the seventh saw a rally from the Highlanders as they scored four runs, but the deficit was too much. Sepulveda doubled down the left field line driving in two and giving him four RBI for his Highlander debut. That hit made it 12-8 and that was as close as UC Riverside got.
The final game of the series is on Sunday with first pitch at 1PM.
