ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Junior Connor Cannon has been unconscious the past two weeks for the UC Riverside Baseball team. Tonight, Cannon broke the school's division one record for most runs batted in for a single game performance with eight. His record night helped the Highlanders beat the Lobos of New Mexico 18-10.
 
The red-hot junior finished the game four-for-five with two home runs, a double, three runs scored and the school-record eight runs batted in. He also extended his hitting streak to 15 games.
 
The Highlanders found themselves down 4-0 after the first inning before their offensive onslaught took place. The team scored nine runs in the top of the second inning led by freshman Alec Arnone who got the team on the board with a two-run single. After Arnone's single, the team got back-to-back doubles from junior Nick Kafer and sophomore Nathan Webb.
 
Seniors Dean Miller and Yeager Taylor also had RBI singles in the inning to put the team up 6-4 before Cannon's three-run home run capped it off.
 
New Mexico had some fight in them as they scored three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to cut the Highlander down to 9-7. The Lobos eventually tied the game up, 9-9, in the bottom of the fourth but that was as close as it ever came again.
 
Riverside scored two runs in the top of the fifth; highlighted by Miller's RBI double to give the Highlanders an 11-9 lead. They never looked back after that.
 
In the top of the seventh inning, Cannon came up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. The Riverside native sent the ball packing to deep right center for a grand slam to add some cushion to the Highlander lead, 17-9. Cannon also had an RBI double in the top of the ninth to give him the record.
 
The Highlanders received a lot of production from their whole lineup on Thursday as every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit. Taylor went three-for-five with three runs scored to boost his season average to .342. Miller and Webb both added two hits and three RBIs a piece. Webb extended his own hitting streak to 10 games in the multi-hit effort.
 
Senior Jared Noonan collected the win for the Highlanders as he pitched three innings allowing two earned runs while striking out two. Freshman Andre Granillo continued his solid pitching efforts as he threw three scoreless innings while striking out four batters and only allowing one hit.
 
The Highlanders will look to continue to follow Cannon's lead tomorrow for the second game of the set. Riverside sends out right-handed sophomore Abbott Haffar for the 5:00 p.m. game.