NORTHRIDGE, Calif. --- The Portland Pilots scored four runs during the final three innings, including a game-winning solo home run from Justin Thaxton, to rally for a 4-3 win over the CSUN Matadors in game one of a double header on Sunday. The Matadors recovered to take the second game 3-0 to win the rain-shortened series at Matador Field.
 
The Pilots (1-2) entered the final frame of the first game trailing 3-1. Cody Hawken led off with a single, and Kevin Wade followed by reaching on an error, giving the Pilots runners on first and second with nobody out. Mike Hicks then made it a one-run game with a single up the middle that scored Hawken.
 
The Matadors caught a break after the Hicks RBI when they got Matt Kelly to ground into a double play, which left Ryan Kim, a pinch runner, on second with two outs. Devin Kopas then stepped up to the plate and sent the first pitch he saw to left field for a game-tying, RBI double.
 
CSUN would finally end the top of the ninth, and Portland reliever Jake Hawken held the Matadors scoreless in the bottom of the frame, sending the game to the 10th inning, tied 3-3. And that's when Thaxton led off by sending a drive deep over the wall in right field. The solo home run would prove to be the difference, making a winner of Hawken (1-0).
 
Hawken, a junior right-hander, allowed one hit in 2.0 innings, struck out two and didn't issue a walk. Junior lefty Jordan Horak was decent in his first start of the year, limiting the Matadors to three runs on five hits in 5.2 innings. Junior righty Camden Muller worked 2.1 scoreless innings of relief in his first appearance with the Pilots.
 
CSUN reliever Conner O'Neil (0-1), who was named to watch list for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, allowed all four Portland runs in 4.0 innings. He yielded four hits and two walks after starter Samuel Meyers and reliever Justin Toerner held the Pilots scoreless on just two hits covering the first 6.0 innings.
 
The Pilots struggled to get the bats going in the second game, but Portland starter Corbin Powers did well to keep the Matador batters off-balance as well. Powers, a redshirt-junior transfer making his Portland debut, kept the game scoreless during his first four innings on the hill.
 
CSUN (2-1) finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of runs, which both came on a two-run homer off the bat of Nolan Bumstead. The Matadors added another run off of reliever Marty Luckenbach in the bottom of the sixth, making it a 3-0 game.
 
The Pilots then got a pair of runners on base in the top of the ninth to again bring the potential game-tying run to the plate, but this time CSUN's Kyle Nicol collected the save when he ended the game with a strike out.
 
Powers (0-1) takes the loss, surrendering two runs on three hits in 4.1 innings. He struck out two and didn't allow a walk. Tate Budnick tossed the final 2.2 innings, holding the Matadors scoreless.
 
CSUN starter Tel Vanderford (1-0) lasted 6.0 scoreless innings, and Nicol pitched the final three. The duo combined to record 11 strikeouts.
 
Next up for the Pilots is another trip to California, this time to face the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners in a four-game series, beginning on Thursday at 2:00 p.m.