LOS ANGELES, Calif. --- Portland out-hit UCLA on Friday night as the Pilots limited the No. 13 team in the country to just five hits, but the Bruins capitalized on their opportunities to prevail 7-2 in the season-opener at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Daniel Lopez and Jace McKinney produced Portland's two RBI's.
 
Portland (0-1) starting pitcher Jordan Horak did well to avoid major damage in the early innings, despite a handful of Bruins (1-0) reaching base courtesy some walks and hit by pitches. UCLA scored one in the bottom of the first, but left the bases loaded. In the second, the first two Bruins reached base, but Horak retired the next three to get out of the jam.
 
UCLA did score two runs in the third inning to jump ahead 3-0, and the host team doubled their lead with three more in the fourth. Jake Hirabayashi provided an RBI double in the third before Chase Strumpf and Jake Pries added run-scoring singles in the fourth to make it a 6-0 game.
 
Portland's first run came in the top of the sixth after the Pilots had loaded the bases, which included a single on a 10-pitch at-bat by freshman Chad Stevens. Lopez then claimed the RBI on a fielder's choice, but UCLA's Jake Bird ended the inning and the threat with a ground out.
 
The Bruins answered with a run in the bottom of the frame, and the Pilots tried to mount a late rally in the top of the ninth. Cody Hawken led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a double off the bat of McKinney. But that's all the offense the Pilots could put together as the Bruins sealed the win with a game-ending ground out.
 
Portland's six hits came from six different players, and Dutton Elske scored the run in the sixth after previously singling.
 
Horak (0-1) yielded just two hits in 3.0 innings, but he did walk five and allowed four runs. Reliever Jake Hawken went 4.0 innings, fanning four and surrendering three runs, two earned, on two hits, and Connor White worked a scoreless bottom of the eighth.
 
Bird (1-0) was solid on the hill in his start for the Bruins, allowing three hits in 6.0 scoreless innings, while striking out six. He was followed by four relievers out of the bullpen.
 
Tomorrow the Pilots will look to even the series with the Bruins when they meet for a 2 p.m. match-up.