HONOLULU, Hawai'i --- The Portland Pilots won the opener 7-4 before the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors rallied to win the second game 9-5 as the two teams split a non-conference baseball double header played on Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium. Portland, who won Friday night 10-4 in 10 innings, will go after the series win tomorrow, with first pitch of the finale set for 3:05 p.m.
In the first game, the Pilots (2-1) broke a scoreless tie when they scored the first run of the afternoon as Chad Stevens led off the top of the fourth inning with a solo home run to center field. It's the first career home run for the sophomore shortstop.
The 'Bows (1-2) responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth to level the score, but the Pilots re-claimed the lead with another run in the the sixth. Matt Kelly led off the frame with a single, moved to third on a base hit by Stevens, and scored on a wild pitch to make it a 2-1 game.
The Pilots then scored two more runs in the seventh and another in the eighth to claim a four-run lead. Kelly brought home the first in the seventh with a sac fly, and Gabe Skoro came home with the second after Stevens reached on a fielder's choice.
Skoro then tallied his third hit of the game with an RBI single in the eighth, and Hunter Montgomery provided some insurance when he belted a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to push Portland's lead to 7-1.
Hawai'i tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth and pushed three runs across, but the Pilots held on for the win.
Nate Packard (1-0), a right-hander, was masterful in his first start with the Pilots, yielding just one run on four hits in 8.0 innings of work. The junior transfer K'd seven and walked only one. Freshman reliever Morgan White worked the ninth.
Hawai'i freshman Aaron Davenport (0-1) was decent on the mound for the 'Bows, striking out six in 5.1 innings, but he takes the loss after surrendering two runs on five hits and two walks.
The Pilots jumped ahead quickly in the second game, scoring one in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Stevens kept the inning alive by reaching on an error, and Cody Hawken took advantage with an RBI double to right field.
In the third, Kelly doubled to center field, moved to third on a fly out, and came home to give the Pilots a 2-0 edge on an RBI ground out from Hawken.
Hawai'i got the run back in the home half of the inning, but the Pilots re-took a two-run lead in the fifth inning when Stevens cross home plate again. This time he walked, stole second and third, and scored when Henry Cheney grounded out.
Reliever Cameron Richman replaced Portland starter Kevin Baker to begin the bottom of the sixth and the 'Bows were able to get to the righty for a run, but the Pilots would score a run during each the seventh and eighth innings to lead 5-2. In the seventh, Hawken left the yard with a solo home run with two outs, his first homer of the young season. Skoro collected the RBI in the eighth when singled to second base, which allowed Tracye Tammaro to score.
Hawai'i responded in a huge way in the bottom of the eighth after two runners reached with two outs. Alex Baeza then stepped to the plate and tied the game with one swing of the bat, launching a three-run homer over the fence in right-center field. UH then scored the go-ahead run when a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded forced in a runner, and the 'Bows added two more to finish off the comeback victory. All seven runs to score in the eighth were unearned due to a Portland error.
Relievers Cole Wilkinson, Connor White (0-1), and Christian Peters all worked in the bottom of the eighth inning for the Pilots, with the loss going to White.
Baker's final line included just one run on four hits in 5.0 innings. The senior right-hander struck out four before giving way to the bullpen.
Reliever Cade Halemanu (1-0) was the third UH pitcher of the game, and he takes the win after tossing a scoreless inning and a third.
