RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- The Portland Pilots scored the game's first run on an RBI single by Davis Tominaga in the top of the second inning, but the UC Riverside Highlanders responded with three unanswered runs to claim the season opener 3-1 on Friday night at the Riverside Sports Complex. Two of UCR's three runs were unearned.
 
With the game scoreless in the second and Cody Lenahan at second base, Tominaga came through with an RBI single to right field. Lenahan easily made it across home plate to give the Pilots (0-1) a 1-0 lead. UCR (1-0) starting pitcher Kevin Sprague would then strike out Brady Kerr to avoid further damage.
 
The score was still 1-0 in the bottom of the third when the Highlanders capitalized on a Portland error. Matthew Ellis led off the inning by reaching on an error, which allowed him to advance all the way to third base. Dante Chupek then followed with a single up the middle to tie the score 1-1.
 
With the score still tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, the Highlanders scored two runs after the first two batters of the inning were retired. Back-to-back singles gave UCR a pair of base runners before a wild pitch put Highlanders on second and third with two outs. Mark Contreras then drove in the go-ahead run with a single, and a second run came in courtesy a Portland error.
 
The Pilots had an ideal chance to score in the top of the eighth inning when pinch hitter Geoffrey Lee and Caleb Whalen both reached with singles. Michael Lucarelli then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Lee and Whalen to third and second, respectively.
 
But UCR reliever Jordan Kron stayed composed and fanned both Eric Sapp and Kevin Farley to end the inning and the threat. Kron then retired the Pilots in order in the top of the ninth to earn the save.
 
Portland starter Jackson Lockwood (0-1) was solid in his season debut, striking out six in 7.0 innings of work, while walking just one. He did surrender 10 hits, but he also picked off a pair of UCR base runners. Freshman reliever Jordan Horak tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
 
Sprague (1-0) went 7.0 innings for the win, holding the Pilots to just four hits.
 
Sapp made perhaps the defensive play of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when he threw out Drake Zarate at home plate to keep the score tied 1-1. Zarate was trying to score from second base on a base hit by Contreras.
 
Neither team recorded an extra base hit and Contreras, Chupek and Joe Chavez each had two hits on the night.
 
The Pilots and Highlanders resume their scheduled four-game series with a double header on Saturday. First pitch of game one is set for 12 p.m., while Sunday's series finale will begin at 1 p.m.