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Box
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Junior
Drew Garcia picked up his second straight three-hit
three-RBI game on Wednesday.
(Photo
by Bobby R. Hester) |
(May
14, 2008) - UC Riverside dropped a non-conference match-up
to USC 13-10 at the Riverside Sports Complex Tuesday night.
Drew Garcia produced his second straight three-hit three-RBI
game for the Highlanders (19-28) who recorded 13 hits on the
night.
USC
improved their record to 24-26 after recording 20 hits against
five Highlander pitchers. UCR had Carl Uhl and Joey Gonzales
each finish with two hits and two runs scored as Gonzales
extended his hitting streak to 12 games in the loss.
The
Highlanders fell behind early, as USC brought six runs across
in the first two innings, using eight hits to take a 6-0 lead.
UCR
battled back though, scoring three runs in the third as Gonzales
singled off USC starting pitcher Kevin Couture’s leg
for the first run of the inning. Garcia followed with a two-run
single to right center, making it 6-3 Trojans.
After
a Justin Shultz sacrifice fly brought home a run in the fourth,
the Highlanders matched the three-spot the Trojans put up
in the fifth with three runs of their own their half of the
fifth. UCR received back-to-back RBI singles by Aaron Wible
and Ryan Goetz, and a sacrifice fly from Jordan Opdyke to
get within two, 9-7 after five complete.
Uhl
started off the sixth inning rally with a one-out opposite
field double down the left field line. Gonzales then singled
to put runners on the corners for Garcia. With the infield
in, Garcia muscled a pitch over the shortstop, bringing home
Uhl to cut the Trojan lead to 9-8. A walk to Wible loaded
bases for Goetz, who brought the tying run home after he hustled
down the line to beat out a double play attempt.
The
Trojan offense continued to get swings, using three hits to
score three runs off of Highlander reliever Stephen Penney
in the seventh to retake the lead 12-9. UCR again answered
with a run in their half of the seventh on Uhl’s single
up the middle, scoring Opdyke and cutting the USC lead to
12-10. But three straight two-out Trojan hits in the ninth
brought home another run, making it a 13-10. USC reliever
Anthony Vasquez produced a perfect ninth to preserve the USC
win.
Vasquez
(2-1) picked up the win after limiting the Highlanders to
one run and two hits in his 3.2 innings of work. Penney’s
record fell to 2-6 after allowing the three earned runs in
the seventh.
UCR
travels to face UC Santa Barbara for a crucial three-game
conference series. The Highlanders head into the weekend trailing
only first place Cal State Fullerton by three in the wins
column.
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