SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - UCR headed up the California coast for a three game series against Cal Poly. The Mustangs entered the series two games behind UC Irvine for tops in the conference, while the Highlanders just needed one more win to surpass last year's total. 

Adrian Blanchett got the nod for UCR, making his first start of the season and his ninth appearance of the year. He last pitched on Friday night against Long Beach State, throwing two innings and giving up no runs to the Dirtbags. He took the loss tonight, going 2.2 giving up two runs and four hits. 

Cal Poly got on the board first, scoring twice in third inning and followed up with three in the fourth. The Mustangs entered the game with the conference's best offense hitting .315. 

Trailing 5-0 in the top half of the fifth, the Highlanders scored four times to cut the lead to one. Jacob Badawi drove in the first run for UCR on a single to left-center. David Whittle followed up up driving in a run on a single to right, scoring David Gibbs. Robert Pitts then drove in a pair on a single to left-center and added to his RBI total. Pitts' 23 RBI is tied with Manoah Chapman for the team lead.

The Mustangs extended their lead in the home half of the fifth scoring three times and building a four-run lead, 8-4.

UC Riverside came up with two more runs in the sixth. Tyson Reis had a two-RBI single to left-center scoring Chapman and Andrew Rivas. Then in the bottom of the sixth, Cal Poly scored four more times making it, 12-6. 

Every time UCR tried to get back into the game, Cal Poly's offense came through. 

The Highlanders got two more in the top of the seventh. Badawi drove in his second run of the game, after Pitts scored on an error.

Cal Poly came back and scored two more times in the bottom of the seventh. Again, answering back when UCR got closer. 

Rivas hit his second homer of the year in the top of the ninth, but that was all UCR got as they dropped the game, 14-9.

Next up is game two tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. from SLO.