Coming off a close 4-3 win on Friday, April 22 in game one of their conference series against nationally-ranked Long Beach State, UC Riverside baseball had a quick turnaround into Saturday evening’s matchup against the Beach. Yet UCR managed to prevail on top, 14-13, of the thrilling nine-inning slugfest, thanks to a walk-off single courtesy of Yeager Taylor.
The game looked lopsided from the start as Long Beach kicked off the first inning with three runs, two of which were aided by Highlander errors. Yet two two-run homers from Aaron Cisneros and Vince Fernandez helped provide UCR four of their five total runs through the second and third innings. This notched the score at 5-3 entering the top of the fourth and forecasted what would prove to be a hotly contested back-and-forth affair.
During the fourth, Long Beach’s Jarren Duran sac-bunted to bring home Garrett Nelson and cut the deficit to 5-4, a lead that was quickly changed as UCR’s Drake Zarate drove a two-RBI single down right field to bring home Colby Schultz and Michael Farris and put UCR’s lead at 7-4. It seemed UCR was primed to run away with the lead come the sixth inning, when Colby Schultz made it home on a fielding error and Michael Farris did the same on the ensuing play on a fielder’s choice.
With a 9-4 deficit staring them in the face heading into the top of the seventh, Long Beach aimed to chip away at it and did so in thrilling fashion. The LBSU comeback began with an Alex Muzzi sac fly which brought Zack Domingues home and put Daniel Jackson and Garrett Hampson on second and third, respectively. Hampson made it home courtesy of another sac-fly from Brock Lundquist.
Once UCR failed to score in their side of the seventh, Long Beach continued to pile on in the eighth where they scored four total runs, capped off by a Domingues one-run homer to give them a 10-9 lead. Though, it was a lead that was short-lived as UCR’s Austin Colvin drove a single up the middle to bring home Taylor and Fernandez. Colvin was eventually brought home by a single from Casey Worden, which notched UCR a 13-10 lead.
Yet, it was not over as Long Beach responded with three consecutive runs in the top of the ninth to tie it 13-13, eventually setting up Yeager Taylor’s single to right field which brought home Michael Farris for the winning run.
All in all, it was a night where offense took precedence and no pitcher left unscathed. UCR rotated through six different pitchers as LBSU went through five; the win (if it can be considered such) went to UCR starter Alex Fagalde, who is now 3-0 on the year, LBSU’s Chris Rivera (1-2) took the loss.
After two thrilling wins, the Highlanders failed to complete the sweep in another high-scoring affair on Sunday as they fell 10-7 to LBSU. The series puts UCR at 17-20 overall on the year with their 5-4 conference record placing them fifth in the Big West. The Highlanders remain home with a matchup against San Diego on Thursday, April 26.
