Riverside—Kevin Sprague scattered four Portland hits over seven innings, and the Highlanders took advantage of a pair of Pilots miscues Friday evening as the UC Riverside Baseball Team won its 2015 season opener, 3-1, at The Plex.

Sprague (1-0), who was the Highlanders' closer in 2014, earned the top spot in the weekend rotation during the offseason, and didn't disappoint. The Pilots lone run of the game came in the top of the second as Cody Lenahan reached on a fielder's choice, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Davis Tominaga single to right.

Over the next five innings, Portland managed to place just one runner in scoring position. After allowing a leadoff single to pinch hitter Geoffrey Lee in the top of the eighth, Sprague was lifted in favor of Jordan Kron who struck out three of the six batters he faced to pick up his first save.

The Highlanders scored their first run in the bottom of the third thanks to an error by Pilots right fielder Eric Sapp. Matt Ellis led off the frame with a liner to right that Sapp had to come in on. He overran it though, and it went by him for a three-base error. Dante Chupek brought Ellis home with a single up the middle.

It was still a tie game in the bottom of the sixth, and Portland starter Jackson Lockwood (0-1) retired the first two UCR batters in order. Drake Zarate singled up the middle, Joe Chavez singled through the right side and a wild pitch put runners at second and third.

Mark Contreras followed with a dribbler between first and the pitchers' mound, and Lockwood was a little late in covering. Tominaga's throw was also off the mark, and two runners scored on the infield single and throwing error putting the Highlanders up, 3-1.

UC Riverside and Portland play a double header at The Plex on Saturday beginning at noon PT.