
Photo by: Karl Boudiwan
Four Run Seventh Leads UCR to Win
3/7/2026 7:36:00 PM | Baseball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The Highlanders hosted UC Davis in the second game of a three game set this afternoon, looking for their first conference win. A four run seventh inning was more than enough for UCR's first conference win and snapped a five game losing streak.
Matthew O'Brien got the start for UC Riverside and battled all game. He went 6.1 innings giving up three runs, two earned and struck out two.Â
In the top of the second UC Davis pushed two across, and both runs came with two outs. Jaxon Murphy scored on a throwing error making it 1-0. Ryan Lee then scored on a single by Elijah McNeal to make it 2-0. The next Aggie run came in the top of the seventh on a safety squeeze by Evan Gentil.
For the Highlanders they pushed their first run across in the bottom of the fourth on Andrew Rivas' sac-fly to center scoring David Gibbs.
Gibbs led things off in the bottom of the sixth with a walk. He advanced to third on a single by Lucas Bonham. Gibbs scored when Jaxon Byrd grounded into a double play.
The seventh was the big inning for the Highlanders. Trailing 3-2, UC Riverside put up four to take a 6-3 lead. It started with Miles Scott doubling to left center. Robert Pitts followed up with an infield single and Scott scored on an Aggie error. The go-ahead, and eventual winning run, scored on an infield single by Tyler Gordon and another throwing error by the Aggies. The two insurance runs for the Highlanders came on RBI singles by Manoah Chapman and David Gibbs.Â
O'Brien gave way to Matt Hudson in the seventh and the Highlander reliever pitched the final 2.2 innings to earn his second win on the year.Â
Next up is the rubber game of the series with first pitch at 1PM.
Matthew O'Brien got the start for UC Riverside and battled all game. He went 6.1 innings giving up three runs, two earned and struck out two.Â
In the top of the second UC Davis pushed two across, and both runs came with two outs. Jaxon Murphy scored on a throwing error making it 1-0. Ryan Lee then scored on a single by Elijah McNeal to make it 2-0. The next Aggie run came in the top of the seventh on a safety squeeze by Evan Gentil.
For the Highlanders they pushed their first run across in the bottom of the fourth on Andrew Rivas' sac-fly to center scoring David Gibbs.
Gibbs led things off in the bottom of the sixth with a walk. He advanced to third on a single by Lucas Bonham. Gibbs scored when Jaxon Byrd grounded into a double play.
The seventh was the big inning for the Highlanders. Trailing 3-2, UC Riverside put up four to take a 6-3 lead. It started with Miles Scott doubling to left center. Robert Pitts followed up with an infield single and Scott scored on an Aggie error. The go-ahead, and eventual winning run, scored on an infield single by Tyler Gordon and another throwing error by the Aggies. The two insurance runs for the Highlanders came on RBI singles by Manoah Chapman and David Gibbs.Â
O'Brien gave way to Matt Hudson in the seventh and the Highlander reliever pitched the final 2.2 innings to earn his second win on the year.Â
Next up is the rubber game of the series with first pitch at 1PM.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hudson, Matt (2-0)
L: Taylor Werth (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Ryan Lee 1
RBI: Evan Gentil 1 ; Elijah McNeal 1
SH: Tyler Howard 1 ; Evan Gentil 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jaxon Murphy 1 ; Ryan Lee 1 ; Joey Wright 1
SB: Tyler Howard 1

Batting:
2B: Scott, Miles 1
RBI: Gibbs, David 1 ; Rivas, Andrew 1 ; Chapman, Manoah 1
SF: Rivas, Andrew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gibbs, David 2 ; Scott, Miles 1 ; Pitts, Robert 1 ; Gordon, Tyler 1 ; Backstrom, Hunter 1
CS: Gibbs, David 1 ; Backstrom, Hunter 1 ; Chapman, Manoah 1
HBP: Scott, Miles 1
PO: Chapman, Manoah 1
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