RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The Highlanders bounced back in a big way this afternoon as UCR took game two of the three game series against Cal Poly, 10-4. Matthew O'Brien went the distance this afternoon and surrendered only four runs. For the UCR lefty it was his second win of the year his complete game was the first for a Highlander pitcher since Eric Marrujo did it in 2022 against Utah Valley.

The Highlanders got things started in the first when Jaxon Byrd belted a home run down the right field line giving UCR a 1-0 lead. For Byrd it was his fourth long ball of the season. 

Cal Poly tied things up in the second and in the bottom of the third UCR plated four more runs. It started with a Lucas Bonham's sixth homer of the year and two batters later Jarren Sanderson doubled scoring Byrd. Manoah Chapman drove in a run on a single and Ty Walton smoked an RBI double making it 5-1.

In the bottom of the fourth when Sanderson came up with two on and two out. On a 0-1 count he crushed his fourth homer of the year and made it 8-1 UC Riverside.

Robert Pitts got in on the action in the home half of the fifth when he hit his fourth homer of the season. In the the bottom of the eighth Sanderson drove in his fifth RBI on the year. 

O'Brien needed just 104 pitches and looked in command throughout the game. In the ninth he hit a bump and gave up a two-run homer but that was it. 

Next up for the Highlanders is the series finale against Cal Poly at 1PM from The Plex.

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