RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The Holy Cross baseball team came up short in both ends of a doubleheader at UC Riverside on Saturday, March 9.
GAME ONE
UC Riverside 12, Holy Cross 11
STATS LEADERS:
Holy Cross
Cooney (3-for-6, three runs scored, three RBI, home run, two stolen bases)
King (3-for-6, two RBI)
McElroy (3-for-5, triple, run scored)
A. Bryant (6.0 IP, two runs, six hits, four strikeouts)
UC Riverside
Rocha (4-for-4, double, two runs scored)
McLeod (grand slam)
Sanchez (2-for-4, home run, two RBI)
THE DECISION:
W: Juline (1-0)
L: O. Brown (0-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Junior left fielder Connor Cooney hit a two-run homer in the first inning; an RBI single by senior designated hitter Patrick Casserly extended the lead before Casserly stole home to give the Crusaders a 4-0 advantage in the first inning.
- An RBI single by junior first baseman Chris Baillargeon extended the Holy Cross advantage to 5-0 in the top of the second.
- A two-run homer got UC Riverside on the board in the bottom of the third.
- An error in the fifth inning scored two runs for Holy Cross, building a 7-2 lead.
- Holy Cross scored four more runs in the seventh after a sac fly, error and two-run single from junior shortstop Jimmy King, making it an 11-2 game.
- The Highlanders quickly erased the deficit in the final frames, with a grand slam in the eighth and six runs in the bottom of the ninth to secure the walkoff win.
GAME TWO
UC Riverside 11, Holy Cross 4
STATS LEADERS:
Holy Cross (3-10)
McElroy (2-for-4, double, two RBI, run scored)
King (2-for-3, run scored)
Sandell (double)
Cooney (2-for-5, run scored)
UC Riverside (9-6)
Rocha (2-for-3, double, two RBI, two runs scored)
Tallerman (3-for-5, double, home run, four RBI)
THE DECISION:
W: Gebb (2-1)
L: Gardiner (0-2)
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Holy Cross held a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after a two-run double by senior right fielder Jake McElroy, but UC Riverside responded with three runs in the bottom of the first to jump into the lead.
- The Highlander lead grew to 7-2 by the third inning.
- In the top of the fourth, freshman designated hitter John LaFleur hit an RBI single to score freshman catcher Colin Brown, before a fielder's choice helped the Crusaders come within 7-4.
- UC RIverside tacked on another run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth to jump out to a 10-4 lead.
- A fielding error in the eighth inning helped the Highlanders score another run and extend their lead to 11-4.
DUE UP:
- The Crusaders and Highlanders round out the series on Sunday, March 10.
- First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
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