Baseball Bangs Out 17 Hits In 12-7 Win Over Visiting Washington State

Monday, February 17

Riverside, CA

12:00 pm

UC Riverside

3-1

Washington State

1-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Washington State	0	0	2	3	0	0	0	2	0	7	9	1
UC Riverside	2	0	0	3	4	1	2	0	X	12	17	3

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Baseball Bangs Out 17 Hits In 12-7 Win Over Visiting Washington State

2/17/2014 6:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Riverside—The UC Riverside Baseball Team improved to 3-1 on the season, Sunday afternoon, collecting 17 hits en route to a 12-7 win over visiting Washington State (box score/overall statistics).

The last time the Highlanders won at least three of their first four games in a season was the 2010 campaign when they won their first four contests. That team went on to finish 32-23.

UC Riverside got on the board quickly, taking advantage of a Cougars' miscue to score two runs in the bottom of the first. Joe Chavez led off the inning with a single through the left side to extend his hitting streak to four straight games, and stole second one batter later. Devyn Bolasky then lifted a fly ball to left for what should have been the second out of the inning, but it bounced out of left fielder Ben Roberts glove, allowing Chavez to score.

Bolasky was able to reach second on the play, and a Cody Hough grounder to short moved him to third. David Andriese then put the Highlanders up 2-0 with a single through the right side.

Meanwhile, Zack Varela, who went 5-0 with a 1.34 ERA a year ago, retired six of the first seven batters he faced.

He ran into some trouble in the third, however, as it was the Cougars turn to take advantage of UC Riverside's defensive lapses. Ian Sagdal led off the third with a ground ball up the middle that Chavez was unable to handle. Trace Tan Sing then beat out a bunt down the third base line to put runners on first and second. Lead-of hitter Trek Stemp sacrificed both runners up 90 feet, and Collin Slaybaugh's sac fly to center cut the Highlanders' lead in half. One batter later, Varela balked to bring home Tam Sing tying the score.

Washington State benefited from another UC Riverside error in the top of the fourth. Patrick McGrath opened the inning with a single to center, and Roberts reached via hit by pitch. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Sagdal reached on an error by shortstop Nick Vilter, and two runners came plateward. Two batters later Stemp's single down the left field line put the Cougars up 5-2.

It didn't take long for the Highlanders to strike back as Vilter and Chavez reached on singles, and Francisco Tellez drilled his first homer of the season over the right field wall to once again tie the score.

Varela retired Washington State in order in the fifth and sixth, and by the time the Cougars had their next base runner, the Highlanders led 10-5. UC Riverside sent eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth, recording four base hits and scoring four runs. One run came in on a passed ball, while a Matt Ellis sac fly and two-RBI single by Tellez plated the other three.

The Highlanders tacked on a single run in the bottom of the sixth to double up the Cougars on a Vilter RBI single that scored Andriese. They then added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 12-5, UC Riverside.

The Cougars touched Varela for a double and a single in the top of the eighth to cut the lead to six, and Head Coach Doug Smith made the call to the bullpen. Dylan Stuart came on in relief with two outs, and after giving up an RBI single to Sagdal, Stuart picked him off first case for the final out of the inning.

Stuart retired the side in order in the ninth to close out the win.

The Highlanders are on the road this weekend as they travel to San Marcos, Texas for a three-game series with Texas State. First pitch on Friday, February 21 is slated for 4:30 pm PT.