Friday, April 21
UC Riverside
9
vs
3
Cal Poly
Highlanders Win Second Straight, 9-3, Over Cal Poly
4/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sophomore RHP James Simmons struck out nine over eight innings and junior LF D.J. Hollingsworth went 4-for-4 with four RBI as UC Riverside won the opening game of a three-game series, 9-3 over Cal Poly Friday night at the Riverside Sports Complex. The Highlanders won their third straight Big West Conference game to improve to 20-13, 3-1, while dropping the Mustangs to 21-18, 5-5.
Cal Poly took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to three base hits and a throwing error by Simmons. UCR struck right back in the bottom of the first, however, with three runs of its own, all with two outs. With one out, junior CF Brett Bigler walked. After a fly out, sophomore INF Aaron Wible walked. Sophomore C Jeff Dunbar then hit a smash down to third that was misplayed by Josh Lansford, allowing Bigler to score. Hollingsworth then singled home Wible and Dunbar to make it 3-1.
The Highlanders scored twice more in the third, again with two outs. Senior RF Aaron Grant was hit by a pitch to lead off and went to second when Poly pitcher Bud Norris' throw to second base was offline on a sacrifice by Bigler. After a failed bunt by senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer resulted in a force out of Grant at third, Bigler raced around to score from second when the Mustangs were slow to get the ball to the infield on Wible's fly out to center. A single by Dunbar then brought Steinmeyer home to increase UCR's advantage to 5-1.
Cal Poly pulled a run back in the fourth on an RBI double by Matt Canepa but UCR pushed three more across in the bottom of the frame to make it 8-2. Sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza was hit by a pitch and was sacrificed to second. Bigler then doubled him home and after an infield single and another hit batter, Hollingsworth hit a two-run single down the leftfield line.
Lansford hit a solo home run to lead off the sixth for the Mustangs but that would be the last of their scoring. The Highlanders added one more run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Bigler.
Simmons (7-3) tied his longest outing of the season, throwing 119 pitches in eight innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out nine and walking none. Junior LHP Pat Cassa pitched a perfect ninth.
Norris (7-4) took the loss, throwing seven innings and allowing nine runs, although only four were earned. He gave up 10 hits, walked three, and hit three batters.
In addition to Hollingsworth's first career four-hit game, Bigler went 2-for-2 with two RBI, a walk and three runs scored. Dunbar and Wible also added an RBI each while Wible extended his UCR season-long hit streak to 11 games.
Cal Poly took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to three base hits and a throwing error by Simmons. UCR struck right back in the bottom of the first, however, with three runs of its own, all with two outs. With one out, junior CF Brett Bigler walked. After a fly out, sophomore INF Aaron Wible walked. Sophomore C Jeff Dunbar then hit a smash down to third that was misplayed by Josh Lansford, allowing Bigler to score. Hollingsworth then singled home Wible and Dunbar to make it 3-1.
The Highlanders scored twice more in the third, again with two outs. Senior RF Aaron Grant was hit by a pitch to lead off and went to second when Poly pitcher Bud Norris' throw to second base was offline on a sacrifice by Bigler. After a failed bunt by senior 3B Brian Steinmeyer resulted in a force out of Grant at third, Bigler raced around to score from second when the Mustangs were slow to get the ball to the infield on Wible's fly out to center. A single by Dunbar then brought Steinmeyer home to increase UCR's advantage to 5-1.
Cal Poly pulled a run back in the fourth on an RBI double by Matt Canepa but UCR pushed three more across in the bottom of the frame to make it 8-2. Sophomore SS Jaime Pedroza was hit by a pitch and was sacrificed to second. Bigler then doubled him home and after an infield single and another hit batter, Hollingsworth hit a two-run single down the leftfield line.
Lansford hit a solo home run to lead off the sixth for the Mustangs but that would be the last of their scoring. The Highlanders added one more run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Bigler.
Simmons (7-3) tied his longest outing of the season, throwing 119 pitches in eight innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out nine and walking none. Junior LHP Pat Cassa pitched a perfect ninth.
Norris (7-4) took the loss, throwing seven innings and allowing nine runs, although only four were earned. He gave up 10 hits, walked three, and hit three batters.
In addition to Hollingsworth's first career four-hit game, Bigler went 2-for-2 with two RBI, a walk and three runs scored. Dunbar and Wible also added an RBI each while Wible extended his UCR season-long hit streak to 11 games.
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