RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside opened the final homestand of 2023 on Friday night at the Riverside Sports Complex, falling 11-3 to UC San Diego. 

Dominic Martinez went 3 for 3 on the night in the cleanup spot while scoring on Jacob Badawi's sacrifice fly in the sixth. Martinez's first hit of the night gave UCR's offense a spark, putting Anthony McFarland on third immediately after McFarland's two-out single up the middle. 

UCR has now had an individual three-hit performance in three of the last four Big West series. 

UC Riverside put a runner on third in the first and third innings with sights on an early run - the Highlanders did get on the board early, but only after Jayden Lopez made it back-to-back games with a home run. After his solo shot in the second, Lopez has now gone yard in back-to-back contests after hitting safely in seven of his last nine games while Mason Grace made it back-to-back Big West series openers with multiple hits. 

Eric Marrujo racked up six strikeouts in 5.0 innings of action, his most since fanning seven in a 10-2 win over LMU back on March 4. 

UC Riverside will try to even the series with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch on Saturday on ESPN+.