Riverside—For the second straight game, the Hawai'i Baseball Team jumped out to an early lead holding off a late UC Riverside charge in picking up a 6-2 victory over the Highlanders.

The Rainbow Warriors scored three runs in the top of the first, collecting three hits off of UCR starter Kevin Sprague (3-6) and taking advantage of a UC Riverside error. Sprague settled down after that, allowing just three hits over the next four innings.

Robby Witt put the Highlanders (13-34, 2-15) on the board in the bottom of the first with an RBI ground out that scored Edgar Morales. Witt helped cut the Hawai'i advantage to one in the bottom of the fifth, as his double down the right field line plated Cody Sporrer.

Hawai'i (20-26, 11-9) doubled up its lead in the top of the sixth, and Sprague's night ended with one out in the seventh after allowing a double to Kaeo Aliviado. Keaton Leach came on in relief, and Aliviado eventually scored on a sacrifice fly.

UC Riverside left two runners on in the eighth, before the Rainbow Warriors tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth. The Highlanders put two more runners on in the bottom of the ninth, but were unable to score.

Tyler Bashears (8-4) picked up the win for Hawai'i and Quintin Torres-Costa recorded his eighth save of the season.

The Highlanders and Rainbow Warriors conclude their three-game series Saturday evening beginning at 6 pm PT at The Plex.