RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside kicked off another three-game Big West series at the Riverside Sports Complex on Friday night, falling 3-2 to Cal State Fullerton. 

Fullerton took the 1-0 lead in the first with Cruz Barrios on the hill to start Friday's series opener. 

UCR got out of back-to-back jams as the Titans threatened to stretch their lead, putting a runner on third in the second and third before Barrios and later, Tyler Frazier, left a pair of Titans on base in consecutive frames.

UC Riverside countered half an inning later when Anthony Mata and Anthony McFarland both reached base to give UCR two on and two out. Jayden Lopez was aggressive at the plate to put a dent in Fullerton's lead, but Mata was equally aggressive at second, so much so that the junior was caught going back to second to end the fourth. 

All of UCR's defensive prowess paid off in the fifth though with an errant throw that allowed Lopez to wheel home from first, cutting the Titan lead in half. Alfredo Capacete touched home on a sacrifice fly for the tying run.

Fullerton tacked on a third run in the seventh and UCR managed to put a runner on first across the final three innings, but that's the closest the Highlanders would get to tying the contest. 

UCR and Cal State Fullerton will resume the series on Saturday night with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch from the Riverside Sports Complex.