RIVERSIDE, Calif. – In front of an ESPN3 audience on Friday night, UC Riverside enjoyed solo home runs from both Anthony Lepre and Connor Cannon in the Highlanders' series-opener against Long Beach State. However, the Dirtbags' pitching staff would keep UCR's hits scarce and separate from one another, leading to a 6-2 Highlander defeat.

A pair of first inning hits saw Long Beach take an early 1-0 lead. Facing freshman pitcher Cole Percival in his first Friday start of the year, the Dirtbags would add two more on a trio of hits in the top of the third, making it 3-0.

A strong showing from LBSU pitcher Zak Baayoun held the Highlanders to five hits through seven innings. However, two of those five hits would find paydirt.

Catcher Anthony Lepre got things started with one out in the bottom of the fourth. The junior from Agua Dulce – who had a hit in eight straight games before going 0-for-5 in the Highlanders' most recent outing Tuesday at SDSU – returned to his productive ways, smashing the first pitch he faced over the right field wall. That was Lepre's fifth home run of the season, cutting the Highlanders' deficit to 3-1.

UCR would get another solo shot several innings later, but not before Long Beach took its largest lead of the game, 5-1. Sophomore Connor Cannon immediately answered the Dirtbags' two seventh inning runs, blasting one over center field to make it 5-2.

Cannon finished 2-of-4 on the day, recording a hit for the third consecutive game. His most recent home run prior to Friday night came 14 games ago on March 30, when he homered for the third consecutive outing in a 6-2 win over UC Davis. He now has seven for the year, two more than any other Highlander. His 28 RBI trail only Lepre for the team-lead.

After the Dirtbags tacked on another run to take a 6-2 lead in the top of the ninth, UCR's would see its first three batters retired in the final inning.

Cole Percival (5-3) gave up 10 hits for the first time this season before exiting in the sixth inning, as Long Beach set a new conference season-high with a 15-to-6 advantage in hits.

The Highlanders will return to The Plex for game two on Saturday for a 6:00 p.m. ESPN3 broadcast.