RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The UNCG softball team left 11 runners in scoring position and fell short against host UC Riverside, 6-2, Sunday on the final day of the Highlander Classic at Amy S. Harrison field.  

The Spartans drop to 11-6 on the season and UC Riverside improves to 20-6 on the season.

Chelsea Ponce earned the win improving to 14-3 in the circle for the Highlanders. Ponce threw five innings, allowing one earned run off five hits and had eight strikeouts. Freshman pitcher Alicia Bazonski (Sheffield, Mass./Mount Everett) suffered her first loss of the season (4-1) after throwing 4.2 innings and allowed three runs (zero earned) with four strikeouts.

Junior Danielle Vega (Rialto, Calif./Aquinas) went 2-for-4 at the plate and classmate junior Nicole Thomas (Irvine, Calif./Northwood) had two doubles. Freshman Rachael McClaskey (Pine Hill, N.J./Overbrook) also finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.

UNCG had a chance in the first inning after senior Dominique Madruga (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic) reached base after being hit to start the game. Madruga moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a ground out. With two outs, juniors Nicole Thoma and Lacey Leary (Norwood, N.C./South Stanly/Spartanburg Methodist College) earned walks to load the bases. The Spartans couldn't push any runs across after a swinging strikeout ended the inning.

In the third inning, the Spartans put runners on first and second with no outs but three straight outs ended the rally. Vega singled to right field in the frame.

UC Riverside scored three runs off two hits and a error to take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third. With one out, the Highlanders put runners on after a single and a walk by Stephanie Tickemyer. After a Spartan error, Karina Romero singled home two runs to put UC Riverside ahead 2-0. The third run came home off a wild pitch. 

The Highlanders added a insurance run in the fourth inning off a double by Taylor Wright and a two out RBI single from Jenna Curtan.

UC Riverside almost ended the game in the fifth inning after scoring two more runs off one hit and a UNCG error. With one out, the Highlanders loaded the bases and scored two runs off a fielding error. Bazonski was able to keep UC Riverside from scoring any more runs after getting a force out to end the frame.

The Spartans cut the lead to 6-2 with two runs in the sixth inning. UNCG loaded the bases with one out and scored two runs off a fielder's choice as Lindsay Thomas (Irvine, Calif./Northwood) picked up a RBI on the play.

In the seventh inning, Nicole Thomas doubled to start the frame but the Blue and Gold couldn't push any more runs across as UC Riverside held on to the 6-2 victory.

UNCG heads to San Diego, Calif. to face Bryant Wednesday, March 11 at 5:30 p.m. eastern time in a neutral site game played at the University of San Diego.

Be sure to follow all updates about the UNCG softball team on www.uncgspartans.com or on twitter @UNCGsports/@UNCGsoftball.