San Luis Obispo, CA--Antonio Gonzales and Keaton Leach combined to allow just five hits Friday evening, but Cal Poly also drew four walks, and took advantage of four Highlanders miscues as the Mustangs topped the UC Riverside Baseball Team, 6-2.

After working a scoreless first, Gonzales (0-2) plunked Brett Barbier to lead off the second. Barbier stole second, advancing to third on a throwing error by catcher Ryan Lillie and scoring on a single to short by John Schuknecht. Two batters later, Tommy Pluschkell drilled a homer to left, putting Cal Poly up 3-0.

The Highlanders (13-37, 2-17) got a run back in the fourth as Vince Fernandez led off the frame with a triple to left off of Casey Bloomquist (7-2), and scored on a Joe Chavez sacrifice fly.

The Mustangs (24-25, 11-8) extended their lead, scoring single runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth to go up 6-1.

UC Riverside rallied in the top of the ninth thanks to a Chavez double, a Robby Witt single and a Lillie sacrifice fly. Bloomquist gave way to Danny Zandona with two on and two out in the inning, and Zandona got pinch hitter Jordan Abernathy to fly out to center to end the game. Bloomquist finished with 10 strikeouts and no walks on the evening.

The Highlanders and Mustangs play game two of their three-game series beginning Saturday at 1 pm PT.