RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside had a great chance to take the series from one of the conference's top teams, but dropped a heart breaker to Cal Poly this afternoon, 12-8.
Jaxon Byrd for the start for the Highlanders, his seventh of the year. It would be a no-decision.
The Highlanders struck first scoring three in the bottom of the third inning. With the bases loaded
David Gibbs singled down the right field line scoring
Robert Pitts.
Lucas Bonham then walked with the bases still loaded and two batters later,
David Whittle scored on a wild pitch. UC Riverside had a chance to push a couple more runs across, but two straight strikeouts ended the threat.
Cal Poly got on the board in the top of the fourth and in the home half of the inning the Highlanders looked to get those runs back. While they could not get the two, they were able to plate one run on a RBI single by
Miles Scott making it 4-2.
The Mustangs got a run back in the top of fifth, but in the bottom of the sixth the Highlanders struck for three. The big blow in the inning came off the bat of Scott. The freshman outfielder blasted his first career homer and drove in two more runs making it 7-3.Â
UCR held an 8-5 lead going into the eighth inning. Then Cal Poly struck for six runs as the Highlanders' pen could not hold the lead. The big blow was a lead off homer from Cam Hoiland and the flood gates opened. The Mustangs scored another in the top of the ninth and took a 12-8 lead to the final half inning.
Manoah Chapman got a one out single, but that was all UCR would get in the inning.
Next up for UCR is Cal State Fullerton from Goodwin Field starting on Thursday at 6PM.Â
