May 2, 2008

Box Score

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Pacific baseball team dropped to 9-32 overall (2-14 Big West) with a 7-6 conference loss to UC Riverside (14-25, 8-5 Big West) on Friday, May 2, at Klein Family Field.

Pacific took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Junior Joe Oliveira (San Diego, Calif.) walked to lead off the game, then stole second and third base, before scoring on a sacrifice fly by junior Kurt Wideman (Fallbrook, Calif.).

Sophomore Mike Walker (Marysville, Calif.) hit his first home run of the year to lead off the third inning, giving the Tigers a 2-0 advantage. The Highlanders came back with a two-run homer off the bat of Aaron Wible to even the score at 2-2 in the fourth inning. A solo home-run by Tiger senior Noah St. Urbain (Stockton, Calif.) in the bottom of the fourth frame gave Pacific the lead back at 3-2.

UC Riverside grabbed the lead back after striking for three more runs in the top of the fifth inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Carl Uhl and a two-run homer by Drew Garcia. The Tigers got a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two-out single by freshman Nick Longmire (San Diego, Calif.) to cut the UCR lead to 5-4.

The Tigers bounced back again, scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh inning on RBI singles by Walker and Longmire to regain the lead at 6-5.

UC Riverside scored twice in the ninth off of Tiger starting pitcher Mark McCain (Dallas, Texas) to take a 7-6 lead. After McCain got the first out, he hit pinch-hitter Tony Nix, then walked Uhl and gave up a run-scoring single to Joey Gonzales. McCain allowed just one hit in the first three innings, then gave up five runs total in the fourth and fifth innings. He then pitched three more scoreless innings, before allowing the two runs in the ninth. McCain's night ended after 146 pitches, as he falls to 1-4 on the year. Freshman Thomas Berolzheimer (Stockton, Calif.) came on in relief and allowed a sacrifice fly to Garcia to cap the scoring.

The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the ninth, as senior Adam Ching (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) singled with two out. He stole second base, but was stranded there as Wideman grounded out to third and UCR's Joe Kelly picked up his fourth save of the year. UC Riverside starter Paul Applebee allowed four runs to the Tigers in four and two-thirds innings of work. Stephen Penny (1-5) picked up the win in relief for the Highlanders, pitching two scoreless innings.

Ching was 3-for-5 for the Tigers, and is 10 for his last 18 (.556). Longmire was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Walker was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Gonzales led the Highlanders with three hits.

The Tigers are next in action with a home game against UC Riverside on Saturday, May 3. Game time is 6:00 p.m. at Klein Family Field.