RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Offensive spurts came and went for UCR as the Highlanders opened up a four-game series with Cal State Fullerton beginning with Saturday's doubleheader. 

Friday marking 20 days between home games for UC Riverside was bound to show signs of cobwebs in the Highlanders' Saturday split with the Titans - but not for a lack of sporadic offense that ended in fireworks. Those fireworks came in the form of a three-run walk-off home run from Ethan Payne. 

"The guys just kept competing and battling," interim head coach Justin Johnson said. "We jumped out to an early lead, they battled back at us and we fought all the way to the last pitch. We had two outs, nobody on base, we get two hits and then Ethan comes up huge with the home run. It's great. Hopefully we can take this momentum into tomorrow."

UCR drew first blood in the bottom of the first with a leadoff walk to Travis Bohall, then followed up with a right-field single from Cole Pofek. The Highlanders took their zero off the scoreboard first with an ensuing sacrifice fly by Jacob Shanks, scoring Bohall from third for Shanks' third RBI of the season. 

Shanks finished the first game going 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run, while Dylan Orick's fourth-inning single that put Shanks in scoring position extended Orick's on-base streak to a team-high eight games.

The floodgates opened for the Highlander offense in the fourth inning, beginning with a Shanks single up the middle to the Fullerton pitcher. After UCR loaded the bases with just one out, Anthony Mata slapped a bases-clearing grounder down the right field to give UCR the 4-3 lead and Mata his second, third and fourth runs batted in for the 2021 season. 

UCR turned the tables on Fullerton in game two with a four-spot in the first inning. After Bohall led off with a single up the middle, the next two batters were hit to load up the bases, which called for Orick reaching on a fielder's choice to score Bohall. Joey Nicolai and Ely Stuart followed with RBIs. 

The Titans battled back to take a 5-4 lead late in the game, and what looked to be a come-from-behind win for Cal State Fullerton would not be meant to be. 

Nicolai went 1 for 4 with two RBIs for his third multi-RBI game of 2021, but it was Payne's ninth-inning heroics that gave the Highlanders the dramatic win.

"It felt really good! It was definitely one of those moments you dream about when you're a kid. I'm proud to be a part of this team and hope that we can get the split tomorrow!" Payne said.

UCR goes for the four-game series split on Sunday afternoon with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch.