IRVINE, Calif. — After seeing their 8-0 lead become a 9-8 defeat Friday at No. 25 UC Irvine, the Highlanders fell twice more to the Anteaters in their Saturday Big West doubleheader, 5-2 and 8-1, on Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark.
 
The losses take UC Riverside's slide to eight straight and its season record to 14–28 (12-23 Big West). The Anteaters improve their conference-leading record to 24-7 (32-15 overall).
 
A leadoff homer run to start Saturday by Travis Bohall, his first of the season, did not give the Highlanders the lead for long, as Anteaters leadoff batter Jake Palmer repeated the feat off UCR starter Tyler Frazier.
 
After dropping the first game of the day, which included a career-high 12 strikeouts by UCI starter Nick Pinto, game two saw UCR starter Tucker Juline settle after a first-inning homer by Nathan Church and make it into the fifth inning before he left having surrendered five earned runs.
 
The Highlanders got their first hit of game two in the sixth inning from Mason Grace, who scored on a sacrifice fly to center field from Dylan Orick. The Anteaters added two more unearned runs in the seventh and eighth for the final score of the second game.
 
Sunday offers a salvation opportunity for the Highlanders in this series, as probable pitchers Cole Van Den Helder and Eric Marrujo for UC Riverside. First pitch is schedule for 1 p.m. PT on ESPN3.