UCR Blasts Four Homers In Third To Top Long Beach State 7-5.

UC Riverside 7, Long Beach State 5 - Box Score

Riverside—UC Riverside connected on four home runs in the bottom of the third Sunday afternoon as they held on for a 7-5 win over Long Beach State in the rubber match of a three-game Big West Conference series.

The Highlanders trailed 2-0 heading into their half of the third when Trevor Hairgrove got them on the board with a lead-off solo shot over the Chick-fil-a sign in left field. It was a harbinger of things to come for UC Riverside as two batters later, Joey Gonzales took Long Beach starter Branden Pinder (3-4) deep over the Diet Pepsi sign in right to tie the game at two.

The hit parade continued for the Highlanders as Michael Hur legged out an infield single when Dirtbags shortstop Devin Lohman slipped on he outfield grass trying to set his feet to throw. Robert Brantly singled through the right side to put runners on the corners, and Justin Shults (pictured) cleared the bases with a three-run shot that hit the scoreboard in right center field.

Tony Nix capped off the scoring and put the 2010 Highlanders in the program's Division I-era record books when he connected on the team's fourth home run of the inning sending a shot over the left center field fence. It also tied the team record for home runs in a game during the Division I-era. The NCAA record for homers in an inning is seven set by Southern Utah against Western Illinois on April 22, 2001.

The Highlanders tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth when Gonzales' fielder's choice brought home Hairgrove who reached on a hit by pitch and advanced to third on a Brian McConkey single.

UC Riverside starter Matt Larkins (4-2) retired the Dirtbags in order in the top of the fifth, but ran into some trouble in the sixth. Lohman singled up the middle with one out, and after Joey Terdoslavich flied out to center, Larkins walked T.J. Mittelstaedt to put runners on first and second. Steve Tinoco hit a grounder to second for what should have been the third out of the inning, but Bryan Horst misplayed it to load the bases. Jonathan Jones singled through the left side to drive in a pair and slice the Highlanders lead to 7-4.

Larkins got out of the inning and retired the first two batters in the top of the seventh, but Head Coach Doug Smith went to the bullpen after the junior walked Kirk Singer. Derek Speigner got the call and loaded the bases allowing a single to Lohman and a walk to Terdoslavich. He induced a pop up to second off of Mittelstaedst's bat, however, to work his way out of the jam.

Mitch Patito got the call for the Highlanders in the top of the eighth and recorded the first two outs with ease, but Jordan Casas turned on a Patito offering and deposited it down the right field line to make it a 7-5 ball game. Patito issued a walk to Matt Duffy and plunked Metzger earning himself a visit from Highlanders pitching coach Nathan Choate. Whatever was said in the meeting worked, as Patitio got Singer to fly out to right to end the inning.

Patito came on for his second inning of work in the ninth and retired the side in order for his first save of the year.

The Highlanders have five home games this week beginning with a Tuesday evening tilt against San Diego (6 pm). Loyola Marymount (6 pm) comes to the Riverside Sports Complex on Wednesday to make up one of two rainouts from earlier in the season, and CSU Bakersfield begins a three-game series with UC Riverside on Friday at 6 pm..

UCR Blasts Four Homers In Third To Top Long Beach State 7-5.

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