STOCKTON, Calif. --- The Portland Pilots rallied from an early deficit and never looked back en route to a 10-7 win over the Pacific Tigers to open a three-game West Coast Conference series on a windy Friday night at Klein Family Field. Beau Brundage led the Portland offense going 3-for-5 with two RBI's, while Michael Forgione scored three runs.
 
The Pilots (9-32-1, 5-14 WCC) found themselves trailing 4-1 after two innings, but quickly tied it with a three-run third. With two on and no outs, Kevin Wade drove in the first run in the third with a double to left center field. Cody Hawken and Mike Hicks followed with RBI ground outs, and just like that the score was even 4-4.
 
The Tigers (13-26, 2-17 WCC) responded by reclaiming the lead with a run in the bottom of the third, but Forgione answered in the next frame by singling, stealing second, and scoring the tying run, courtesy a single off the bat of Matt Kelly.
 
In the fifth, the Pilots took control with four runs to surge ahead 9-5. With one out and the bases empty, Hawken hammered a triple to center field. Hawken then easily scored on a Mike Hicks single to center, before the Pilots added three more runs on an error, a wild pitch and a passed ball.
 
Portland added their final run in the top of the seventh when Brundage claimed his second RBI with a single, making the score 10-5.
 
Pacific tried to mount a comeback with solo home runs in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, but the Pilots held on for the victory.
 
Jordan Horak (2-7) gets his second win of the year after tossing 4.1 innings of relief of starter Tate Budnick. Horak struck out four, didn't issue a walk, allowed four hits and let in a pair of runs. Marty Luckenbach replaced Horak in the ninth and avoided any damage to earn his fifth save of the year.
 
Pacific starter Ryan Shreve (1-4) worked 4.2 innings, surrendering eight runs on seven hits to pick up the loss. He was followed by two relievers.
 
The Pilots finished with 10 hits on the night, and left 11 base runners stranded. The triple is the first in the career for Hawken, who also scored twice, and Hicks collected a pair of hits to run his hitting streak to a career-best six games.
 
Game two of this WCC series is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday night.