PORTLAND, Ore. --- After neither team was able to score during the first four innings, the Pacific Tigers scored seven runs in the top of the fifth inning to break open a scoreless game before claiming a 14-7 win over the Portland Pilots on Saturday night at Joe Etzel Field. Cody Hawken and Hunter Montgomery both hit two-run homers for the Pilots in the loss, and they both finished with three RBI's.
 
There wasn't much offense during the first four innings of the game as both starting pitchers were cruising. But the fifth inning was a different story as the Tigers (17-24, 8-12 West Coast Conference) sent 12 batters to the plate to surge ahead 7-0. Carter Hayes led off the frame with a solo home run to left field, and Lucas Halstead would add a two-run single moments later. Nate Verlin also claimed a two-run single in the inning, which eventually ended with the visitors leading 7-0.
 
The Pilots (16-26, 8-12 WCC) got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when Montgomery drove in his first RBI with a single to left.
 
An inning later Hawken crushed a ball over the left field fence, which came with Beau Brundage on base. The home run is Hawken's team-best seventh on the year, and it cut the deficit to 7-3.
 
But the Tigers answered with four runs in the top of the seventh to push their lead to 11-3. Matt Tarantino had the big hit of the inning, which was a three-run homer to left-center field.
 
Montgomery then belted his two-run home run in the bottom of the frame. Chad Stevens led off the inning with a single, and Montgomery followed with his second homer of the week and his third of the season. Now down 11-5, the Pilots would eventually load the bases, but reliever Justin Giovanni would get out of the jam and end the inning with a strike out, which came on a generous called third strike that appeared well out of the zone.
 
Pacific scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning and another in the ninth, and the Pilots added a pair of runs in the bottom of the final frame. Hawken brought in one with a sacrifice fly, and Mike Hicks collected the second RBI with a base hit up the middle.
 
Corbin Powers (4-5) started on the hill for the Pilots, and he was solid for the first four innings. But he ran into some trouble in the fifth, getting charged with four runs. He did strike out six, but he walked three and surrendered four hits.
 
Tate Budnick, Joey Morris, Christian Peters, and Jake Hawken followed Powers on the mound.
 
Ricky Reynoso (4-2) takes the win for the Tigers, lasting 6.1 innings. He allowed five runs on nine hits, while striking out six and walking one. Justin Giovannoni tossed the final 2.2 innings, letting in two runs on four hits.
 
Both teams finished with 13 hits on the night. 
 
The Pilots and Tigers next conclude the three-game series with the finale at 12 p.m. on Sunday.