FULLERTON, Calif. (Interstat) — A dominant pitching performance by Bobby Mahoney and a relentless, opportunistic offense propelled Cal State Fullerton to a 5-2 victory over UC Riverside in a Big West Conference baseball game Friday at Goodwin Field.

The Titans, who evened their season record at 13-14, overcame an early two-run deficit by capitalizing on Highlander mistakes and executing a textbook small-ball attack, recording four sacrifice hits. UC Riverside fell to 8-21.

The game’s decisive shift occurred in the bottom of the seventh inning, erasing what had been a pitchers’ duel. UC Riverside starter Matthew O’Brien had been brilliant, carrying a no-hitter through six and a third innings while protecting a 2-0 lead. He exited after allowing a single to Eli Lopez and a subsequent single to Niko Lombardi that put runners on first and second with one out.

The Highlanders’ bullpen promptly unraveled. Marco DiGirolamo entered and allowed a sacrifice fly to Nate Miller, scoring Lopez for the Titans’ first run. After an intentional walk, Cal State Fullerton’s Caden Kim hit a sharp grounder to third that Lucas Bonham could not handle cleanly. His throwing error allowed two more runs to score, giving the Titans a 3-2 lead. Both runs were unearned.

Cal State Fullerton added crucial insurance in the eighth. With Matt Hudson on in relief, Max Ortega singled and was replaced by pinch-runner Logan Hart. After a sacrifice bunt, Lombardi delivered an RBI double down the left-field line. Hudson then committed a balk, and Hunter Meyer followed with a perfectly placed safety squeeze bunt that scored another run, capping the scoring at 5-2.

The late rally overshadowed a spectacular start by O’Brien and a fast beginning by the Highlanders. UC Riverside struck in the first inning against Mahoney. David Gibbs led off with a single, advanced on a balk, and scored on an RBI double by Bonham. Bonham later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jarren Sanderson, aided by a passed ball.

From there, Mahoney settled in completely. The Cal State Fullerton ace retired 16 of the next 17 batters he faced, finishing with seven strong innings. He allowed just three hits and one earned run while striking out seven. Andrew Wright closed the door over the final two innings, striking out three.

O’Brien’s final line belied his effectiveness, charged with one earned run on no hits over 6 1/3 innings, with three strikeouts. The Highlanders managed only four hits total, two by Sanderson.

The victory gave Cal State Fullerton a 2-0 series lead after a 9-1 win on Thursday. The teams are scheduled to conclude the three-game series Saturday afternoon.