RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Riverside trailed nearly the whole way in its Friday series-opener against CSUN (13-15, 2-1), but a five-run eighth inning helped put the Highlanders over the top, 6-4.
This marks the second consecutive weekend that UCR (13-11, 3-1) has come away with a series-opening win, moving them to 3-1 in Big West play. That matches Hawai'i for the best record in the conference.
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth, the Highlanders got hot at the right time, as freshman outfielder Dylan Orick opened the inning with his first career hit on a single through the left side. Senior shortstop Colby Schultz followed that with a clutch triple off the center field wall, allowing pinch runner Cole Pofek to round the bases and just beat the ball to home plate, tying things at 2-2.
Another triple from junior catcher Anthony Lepre would bring Schultz home to give UCR its first lead of the day, 3-2. After sophomore Connor Cannon reached first via an intentional walk, junior outfielder Matt Hardy stepped up to fire the Highlanders' third triple of the inning towards center field, scoring two more to make it 5-2.
With just one out on the board, a sac fly from senior second baseman Cody Sporrer gave Hardy his first run of the day, putting UCR up 6-2.
CSUN, which entered the weekend with a Big West-leading 45 home runs through 28 games, made things interesting late with a two-run homer to open the top of the ninth. However, senior pitcher Jared Morton (2-0) would put the game to bed by retiring the next three batters, giving him his second win of the season. After entering in the top of the eighth, Morton went on to throw 19 strikes on 21 pitches.
The Highlanders tied a season-high with their fourth 11-strikeout performance of the year, led by redshirt sophomore Trenton Toplikar's six. UCR also reached double-digits in the hit department for the third time in four Big West games, tallying 11 to CSUN's nine.
Junior Taylor Yeager led the way with three hits on four at bats, while Sporrer and Schultz added two hits apiece.
Coming off an explosive offensive showing last weekend against UC Davis, the Highlanders came out a bit cold against the Matadors, going scoreless with three hits through four innings to trail 2-0. UCR's first run of the day came off a Nathan Webb double in the bottom of the fifth, bringing junior Taylor Yeager home to make it 2-1.
Webb now has a hit in four consecutive games to open Big West play. Of his 16 hits this season, ten of them have been doubles.
UC Riverside and CSUN will return to action for game two tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. at The Plex.
