Box ScorePORTLAND, Ore. --- All nine Portland Pilots starters drew walks and freshman Cody Hawken drove in three runs Friday night to lead Portland to a 10-6 win over the visiting UC Riverside Highlanders at Joe Etzel Field in a nonconference game.
Portland's (6-3) patience plate approach began in the first inning with junior OF Jason Rosen and senior OF Caleb Whalen drawing back-to-back walks to load the bases for the hot-hitting Hawken. The freshman drilled a 1-1 fastball off the left-centerfield wall to give the Pilots a 3-0.
The Pilots drew nine full counts throughout the game, forcing UC Riverside's pitching staff to work deep into the count. With 10 walks overall and a season-high five stolen bases, the Pilots consistently put runners in scoring position.
UC Riverside (4-5) responded in the second with a pair of runs of their own, highlighted by Aaron Cisneros' leadoff home run. A well placed blooped single from Mark Contreras later in the inning narrowed the deficit to one.
The Pilots expanded their lead in the third as five walks in the frame generated three more runs, simaltaneously chasing Austin Sodders (0-2). Sodders surrendered six runs in 2.1 innings on three hits and five walks in the loss.
Senior Jordan Wilcox (2-0) gutted through 5.1 innings, striking out seven. The righty limited UC Riverside to two runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking one.
The Highlanders threatened to spoil Wilcox's performance with a rally in the eighth. Vince Fernande led off the inning with a single past a diving Kevin Farley. Austin Cisneros then fell behind in the count before taking a fastball into right center field to put runners in scoring position.
Back-to-back RBI doubles drew the Highlanders to within three, but junior Alex Fisher settled in to keep the lead intact. Whalen provided the Pilots with additional breathing room with his two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth.
The four game series continues with a Saturday doubleheader. The first game features RHP Davis Tominaga (1-1, 2.70 ERA) against UC Riverside's Angel Landazuri (1-1, 11.00). Southpaw Jordan Horak (0-0, 3.60) toes the rubber in the second game, squaring off against Ricky Delgado (0-1, 4.85)
