RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside (12-28, 3-16 Big West) began the final month of the season and a three-game series with Cal State Bakersfield on Friday night at the Riverside Sports Complex with a 6-1 defeat to the Roadrunners.  

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• UC Riverside was forced to wait for its first hit of the ball game, but Mason Grace delivered the Highlanders' first knock on a comebacker into center field to lead off the fifth.  
• UCR benefitted off Grace's leadoff hit, plating a run in the frame on two hits to break up the shutout. 
• Andrew Rivas went 2 for 3 on the night with an RBI.  
• The Highlanders put a pair of runners on in the sixth after Zachary Chamizo started the rally with a one-out single up the middle.  
• UCR added two more runners on base in the seventh inning too, putting both on with two outs on the board.  

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS 

• Rivas has now hit safely in six of his last nine contests with four of those games being multi-hit outings.  

UP NEXT 

• UC Riverside resumes the weekend series on Saturday night with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch from the Riverside Sports Complex on ESPN+. Tickets are available now at highlanderstickets.universitytickets.com.