Pilots Fall to CSUB in Series Opener
 
Box Score

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. --- CSU Bakersfield experienced an offensive explosion, posting the first 14 runs of the game to hand the Portland Pilots their first loss of the season Friday night at Hardt Field by a score of 14-2. Freshman OF Caleb Whalen continued his torrid start to the season with a 3-for-4 performance and junior Brian Frattali drove in the Pilots only two runs.
 
Portland suffers its first loss of the season, seeing its record move to 5-1. CSU Bakersfield improves to 5-5 with the victory.
 
CSU Bakersfield got to senior Kyle Kraus (1-1) in the first inning, tagging the Pilot righty for four runs – two unearned. Kraus, who regularly pitches into the eighth inning, lasted just 3.1 innings on Friday, allowing nine runs – seven earned – on 11 hits. He also struck out one and intentionally walked a batter.
 
Portland would use a total of five pitchers on the night, with Matt McCallister turning in two shutout innings with three strikeouts. Colin Feldtman needed just 11 pitches to throw a perfect eighth inning for the Pilots.
CSU Bakersfield did not need much run support for Jeff McKenzie (1-0), who managed to keep the Pilots off balance with 7.0 innings of four-hit ball. The Road Runner’s lefty struck out 10 while walking one en route to picking up his first win of the season.
 
Whalen had no problems facing McKenzie, however. Picking up his second three-hit game already this season, Whalen upped his batting average to .476 (10-for-21). With his first inning double, Whalen collected his seventh extra-base hit of the year and leads the Pilots in batting average, RBIs (8), total bases (22), and slugging percentage (1.048).
 
Whalen and redshirt-junior Beau Fraser scored on Frattali’s RBI single thru the right side in the eighth inning.
 
Portland and CSU Bakersfield will continue the series on Saturday with another 6 p.m. affair. The Pilots will trot freshman southpaw Travis Radke (1-0, 1.29 ERA) against CSU Bakersfield’s Scott Brattvet (1-1, 3.77).