Riverside—The UC Riverside Softball Team ran its record to 22-6 Tuesday sweeping both ends of a double header from Bryant University.

Game one was an old-fashioned pitchers' duel as the Highlanders sent their ace, Chelsea Ponce to the mound. She entered the game with a record of 14-3 and an ERA of 1.46, but struggled a bit in the early going. The Bulldogs put a runner in scoring position with one out in the first with a single and a wild pitch, but Ponce got a ground out and a pop out in foul territory to end the threat.

In the second, Bryant placed a pair of runners in scoring position with nobody out, but Ponce buckled down once again, striking out the side to strand both Bulldogs. Bryant had runners on base in each of the next four innings as well, but Ponce turned them back every time.

Meanwhile, Bryant starter Elle Madsen allowed just four hits in her time on the mound, but the Highlanders pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth to give them all the offense they would need. With two outs in the inning, Taylor Wright singled through the left side, and Stephanie Tickmeyer reached on a throwing error by the shortstop. Jenna Curtan followed with a single up the middle scoring Wright.

The second game began in similar fashion as UC Riverside starter Tayler Misfeldt allowed just one hit through the first five innings. Bryant's Hayley Bottino gave up just a single run in the bottom of the first on a Natalie Sanchez sac fly which scored Curtan.

It was still a 1-0 game heading into the bottom of the sixth, and that's when the Highlanders appeared to blow the game open. By that time, Logan Pual had taken over in the circle for the Bulldogs.

Curtan was in the mix again, leading off the inning with a Baltimore chop over the pitcher's head. One batter later, Sanchez was hit by a pitch, and Samantha Hernandez came on as a pinch runner. Haley Harris beat out a dribbler to short to load the bases, and Rebecca Faulkner unclogged them with a grand slam to center field.

UC Riverside wasn't done, plating two more runs in the inning on a single to right by Stephanie Tickemyer which scored Kris DeAnda and Chelsey Holley.

Heading into the top of the seventh leading 7-0, the Highlanders needed just three outs to secure their second straight shutout, but the Bulldogs plated three runs in the inning before Misfeldt got the final out of the game on a fly ball to center.

The Highlanders remain at home this week hosting Weber State Wednesday in a 1 pm PT double header at Amy S. Harrison Field.