PORTLAND, Ore.- The University of Portland baseball team gave up a one-run lead in the top of the eighth inning and lost 7-5 to Lewis & Clark College Sunday afternoon at Pilot Stadium. The Pioneers (5-0) scored three runs off four hits in the top of the eighth inning to secure the win. Portland falls to 0-6 on the season with the loss.

“We need to take charge of our opponents and put these games away when we have a chance to win,” said Portland Head Coach Chris Sperry.

In the first inning, Portland’s Trevor Hahn scored on a single by fellow teammate Travis Vetters for an early 1-0 Pilot lead. The Pioneers didn’t get on the board until the third inning when Pat Hogan’s sacrifice fly scored Chris Weber to even the score. Weber got on base with a double down the right field line.

The Pilots scored again in the third inning when L&C hurler Peter Young gave up a bases loaded walk to score Jeff Crinklaw. In the fourth inning, another Vetters hit, this time a double hit to right field, scored Portland’s Jesse Rodgers.

Things started to get interesting after the fifth inning. L&C tacked on two more runs off a homer by Young for a 3-3 tie. The Pilots responded as Vetters got his third hit of the game, bringing Hahn around to score.

In the seventh inning, both teams put their relievers on the mound and each team would score one more run, but the Pilots held the advantage, 5-4.

In the top of the eighth inning, Portland’s Sean Sargent gave up three more runs on four L&C hits before the inning ended with an interference call.

The Pilots were unable to manufacture any runs in the last two innings to pull out the win as the Pioneers went on victorious.

Vetters stat line for the game was incredible. He recorded three hits in four at bats, including a double and three RBI. Hahn went 1-for-3 with two runs scored as five other Pilots totaled one hit each in the game. As a team Portland tallied nine hits in 36 at bats, along with five runs scored and four RBI. Sargent recorded the loss for the Pilots, he moves to 0-2 on the season. Reliever Trent Kristjanson came in for a productive two innings for Portland. He gave up just one hit, no runs and no walks against seven Pioneer batters.

L&C’s Young, who had double duties today as both the starting pitcher and the team’s designated hitter, went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, including the game’s only home run. Greg Williams had two hits and a run scored in the game. The Pioneers totaled nine hits in 35 at bats, along with seven runs scored and seven RBI. Joe Taylor recorded the win for the Pioneers, while Justin McCloskey moved from third base to pitcher in the eighth inning and earned the save. He threw two innings and gave up one hit, no runs and two walks, while facing nine batters.

The Pilots will host the George Fox Bruins at Pilot Stadium on Feb. 24 at 2:00 p.m. before taking on British Columbia at home on Mar. 2 for a 2:00 p.m. start.