RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The 2021 Crosstown Showdown on the diamond got underway on Thursday evening at the Riverside Sports Complex, as UC Riverside dropped game one to California Baptist, 5-4.

The offense was there, but Highlanders ace Zach Jacobs kept UCR within striking distance of getting back in the win column.

Cal Baptist opened the scoring with four runs in two innings, but Jacobs retired 11 of his next 12 after CBU's three-run third inning. The redshirt freshman struck out five of those 11 batters and went the distance for his second career complete game.

UCR matched the Lancers' offensive efforts with a three-run frame of their own in the fourth. Dylan Orick led off the inning with a slow-rolling triple to the left center wall, only to be brought home on the next at bat by way of a first-pitch single from Anthony Mata. Jacob Shanks singled up the middle to score a speedy Mata from second after he advanced on a passed ball, then Joey Nicolai logged RBI number 27 of his season with a first-pitch single to right.

Travis Bohall, who had already registered a 3-for-3 evening by the fifth inning, finally cut the lead to one with a single up the middle to score Nicolai. Thursday's series opener was Bohall's 14th multi-hit game of 2021 and second straight with three hits.

Bohall was one of four Highlanders to log multi-hit games - Mata, Nicolai and Nathan Webb all had two hits apiece.

The Highlander bats chased Lancer starting pitcher Bryan Pope from the mound after just five innings after Nathan Webb led off the inning with a single, making it six hits for UCR in their last nine at bats. 

Webb doubled to lead off the ninth and came home on a sacrifice fly from Ely Stuart, but that was all the offense UCR could muster in the final inning.

UCR and CBU will play games two and three in a doubleheader on Saturday from the Riverside Sports Complex, and first pitch in game one scheduled for 3:00 p.m.