April 9, 2011

Box Score

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RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Sophomore 2B Tyger Pederson continued his torrid stretch at the plate, but the UC Riverside Highlanders took game two of a Big West series over the Pacific baseball team, 13-5, Saturday at UCR Sports Complex.

Pederson picked up three hits in five at-bats, scoring a pair of runs and driving in another as his hot week continues. The redshirt sophomore from Palo Alto, Calif., is now nine for his last 14.

Pacific picked up three runs in the first as Pederson led off with a single up the middle. Senior 1B Brian Martin (Livermore, Calif.) followed with a one-out single to left center, and after senior LF Matt Carvutto (Poway, Calif.) walked to load the bases, junior LF Allen Riley (Fresno, Calif.) recorded an RBI groundout to put Pacific on the board 1-0. It was Riley's team-leading 20th run batted in on the season.

Sophomore DH John Haberman (Stockton, Calif.) followed with a two-run single up the middle as Pacific staked starting pitcher Marcus Pointer (Pacifica, Calif.) to a 3-0 lead before he took the hill.

But UC Riverside responded quickly with a five-run first inning, as SS Trevor Hargrove doubled to right to open the bottom of the first, RF Justin Shults added a one-out RBI single, and after a LF David Andriese single, catcher Dan Pellegrino poked a run-scoring single to right to cut the margin to 3-2. DH Kyle Boudreau then singled to centerfield to put the Highlanders on top, 4-3. Riverside would add one more in the frame before 3B Ryan Goetz popped out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the third, UC Riverside struck for five runs again, as they sent 10 men to the plate. After a leadoff single by Boudreau, 1B Bryan Horst laid down a bunt single and Goetz followed with a two-run double down the right field line. CF Tony Nix added a two-run single to chase Pointer and give Riverside a 9-3 lead.

Jared Wagner (Danville, Calif.) entered and after a fielder's choice, and a Pellegrino single made it 10-3, the junior RHP coaxed a fly out from Boudreau to end the inning. Wagner pitched well out of the bullpen, hanging zeroes in the fourth, sixth and seventh as he pitched five innings, allowing five hits.

Pacific picked up a run in the fifth as Pederson opened the inning with a single, and advanced to third on Martin's second hit of the day. Carvutto followed with an RBI single, but UC Riverside starter Dustin Emmons retired the next two batters to end the threat.

Boudreau struck again in the fifth with a two-run double with two out, and Emmons departed after five innings with four earned runs allowed and a pair of strikeouts.

In the eighth, PH Daniel Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.) singled to left, and after sophomore 3B Dustin Torchio (Santa Cruz, Calif.) singled through the right side, Pederson delivered a two-out single off UCR's lefty reliever Dylan Stuart, lining it off Stuart's leg to plate Johnston.

UC Riverside tacked on their final run in the eighth, as Hargrave posted a sacrifice fly off Wagner. LHP Andrew Wild (Visalia, Calif.) came in and retired the final two batters.

Joie Dunyon pitched the ninth for Riverside, as the Highlanders (14-11 overall, 3-2 Big West) earned the series win.

Pacific falls to 9-18 on the year, 1-4 in the Big West and Pointer falls to 1-5. Martin finished two-for-four on the day with a run scored, he also reached after being hit by pitch. Junior SS Josh Simms (La Mesa, Calif.) added a double in the seventh as he continued to excel against left-hand pitching.

The series concludes Sunday as RHP Jake Hummel (Peoria, Ariz.) takes his 2.60 ERA to the mound against UCR's RHP Trevor Frank (1-0, 2.61 ERA).