OREM, Utah – UC Riverside started its first road trip of the season taking on Utah Valley in a four game series.
Jaxon Byrd took to the bump to open the series for the Highlanders. The lefty entered the game with his only appearance being against Wagner last weekend where he pitched two scoreless innings.
In the second inning after the lead off hitter got on board it was Chipper Beck's triple that made it 1-0 Utah Valley. Beck scored on an RBI ground out by Derek Houston making it 2-0. Then a bases loaded single by Kaden Carpenter made it 4-0.
In the top of the third the Highlanders plated one. It started with
Manoah Chapman getting hit and
David Gibbs laid down a sac-bunt.
Evan Chavez followed with a double making it 4-1. For Chavez it was his second RBI of the year.
Byrd was lifted in the bottom of the third and handed it off to
Marco DiGirolamo, was making his sixth appearance of the season. They righty entered the game with no record and 3.2 innings under his belt.
The Highlanders struck again in the top of the fourth.
Esteban Sepulveda singled to left scoring Byrd and
Lucas Bonham and UCR trailed 4-3. After a wild pitch advance Sepulveda to second, Gibbs promptly singled up the middle to tie the game.
Jack Becker followed DiGirolamo pitching the fourth inning. He could not keep the Wolverines off the board as Utah Valley took a 5-4 lead on a single by Carpenter.
The Highlanders came right back in the fifth and sixth innings scoring twice in each frame. The big plays in the sixth were Sepulveda stealing home and
Evan Chavez hitting his first home run as a Highlander.
The Wolverines tied it in the bottom of the sixth, with two of the runs scoring after a throwing error by Chavez.
UC Riverside came back in the eighth and reclaimed the lead on a one out single by Gibbs. Leading 9-8 the Highlanders got an insurance run when a throwing error by the Wolverines lead to Chapman scoring making it 10-8.
The Highlanders took that two run lead into the ninth and sent
Matt Hudson out for his third inning of work. The first two Wolverines got on via the walk and UCR was in a jam. Utah Valley pushed one across on a sacrifice fly and it was 10-9. Hudson still battling got Mason Hamlin to fly out.
With two outs UCR went to the pen and
Justin Dougan looked to get the final out. After getting ahead 0-2, four straight out of the zone and the bases were loaded with the winning run in scoring position. Dougan settled down and the game ended on a ground out to third.
Hudson earned his first win of the year (1-0) and Dougan got his first save as a Highlander.
The win is UCR's first on the road and they improve to 3-6. Up next for the Highlanders is a twin bill tomorrow with the first game starting at 11:05 am (PST). Game 2 follows.
