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(February
29, 2008) - UC Riverside dropped the opening game of their
four-game series with the Nebraska (2-2) Cornhuskers 3-2 in
Lincoln, NE Friday afternoon. Senior Ben Price launched his
first home run of season in the second inning for the Highlanders
(2-4).
The left-handed hitting Price gave UCR an early 2-0 lead on
his big fly high over the right field fence with a one-out
in the second. NU would add solo homers in the second and
in the fifth to tie the game at 2-2 and both squads could
not bring anybody else across in the next few innings before
starting the eighth.
A tough Cornhusker bullpen held the UCR offense scoreless
after the Highlanders had loaded the bases to start the eight
with the game still tied at 2-2. Junior Jordan Opdyke and
sophomore Bryan Horst each drew walks to start off the inning
and set first and second for Highlander lead-off man Carl
Uhl. Uhl put down a sacrifice bunt but instead of taking the
sure out at first, Cornhusker reliever Zach Herr tried to
get the runner at third, his throw pulled the third baseman
off the bag, resulting in a bases-loaded and nobody out scenario
for the Highlanders.
Herr and fellow UN reliever Erik Anderson combined to eliminate
the Riverside threat as next three hitters could not put the
ball in play with each hitter striking out to end the inning
with no runners coming across. The Highlanders left a total
of six runners on base throughout the game but none were bigger
than the man left at third base to end the eighth.
UC Riverside junior starter Stephen Penny (0-1) continued
to impress in his second start of the season and only the
third of his career. Penny struck out four and allowed only
four hits, two were solo homers, in a career-high 7.2 innings
of work. He ran into trouble in the eighth though, Ben Klime
led off the Husker eighth with a double down the third base
line but Penney battled and got the next two hitters to pop
up for the first and second outs of the inning.
Penney's
next pitch went to the backstop allowing the potential go-ahead
run to move up to third and head coach Doug Smith summoned
junior Ryan Platt from the pen. Platt's first pitch bounced
over freshman catcher Brett Hambright allowing the runner
from third to come across. Platt struck out the Nebraska hitter
to end the inning but the damage had been done, the Huskers
owned a 3-2 lead heading into the ninth.
Sophomore Ryan Goetz singled to lead off the ninth but the
next three Highlanders went quietly as Nebraska picked up
a win in their home-opener. Cornhusker starter Johnny Dorn
struck out nine in his seven innings of work and Anderson
picked up the win after is 1.1 innings of relief.
Junior Drew Garcia and Goetz each collected two hits for UCR.
Freshman Matt Larkins takes the ball for the Highlanders in
game 1 of a doubleheader against Nebraska and sophomore Paul
Applebee gets the nod for game two with the first pitch set
for 12:05 (CST).
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