HONOLULU, Hawai'i --- The Portland Pilots scored six runs in the top of the 10th inning, which included a pair of two-run doubles by Hunter Montgomery and Daniel Lopez, to surge past the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors and win the season opener 10-4 on a rainy Friday night at Les Murakami Stadium. The Pilots also came through defensively, registering two clutch double plays just to get to extra innings.
With the score tied 4-4 in the extra frame, Dutton Elske led off with a double down the left field line. Jace McKinney followed with a double, and Matt Kelly then drew a walk to load the bases. Up to the plate came Cody Hawken, who was promptly hit by a pitch, and just like that the Pilots led 5-4. Then came consecutive doubles by Montgomery and Lopez to break the game open, and Tracye Tammaro produced another RBI double before the inning was over.
Portland reliever Connor Knutson (1-0) sealed the win on the bottom of the 10th to allow the Plots to begin the season 1-0.
Portland totaled 17 hits as a team, and McKinney, Lopez, and Tammaro each finished with three hits.
The 'Bows (0-1) scored the game's first run in the bottom of the third after neither team could create much offense during the first three frames. With two outs, UH's Scotty Scott reached with a double into the right-center gap. Maaki Yamazaki then lifted a double into right field that easily scored Scott to hand Hawai'i the 1-0 lead.
The Pilots got on the board in the top of the sixth inning when Stevens led off with a triple to deep left field. Hawken then sent an RBI single to the outfield on the very next pitch, scoring Stevens to level the score. Portland wasn't done as they'd eventually load the bases, and Elske would then draw a walk to force in the go-ahead run and give the Pilots the lead. McKinney followed with an infield single to make it a two-run game, and the Pilots pushed their lead to 4-1 after Kelly was hit by a pitch to plate another run.
The Rainbow Warriors responded with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, but the Pilots would escaped a jam with an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play to maintain a 4-3 edge. The 'Bows did tie it in the seventh inning after a misplayed pop up allowed a run to score.
From there neither team was able to produce the game-winning run, and the Pilots got out of a bases loaded situation in the bottom of the ninth with a 1-2-3 double play, sending it to extra innings.
Portland starter Eli Morse, who got out of jams in both the fourth and the fifth innings, battled through 5.1 innings. The sophomore right-hander allowed just two earned runs on six hits, he fanned six and left with the Pilots leading 4-3. Cole Wilkinson and Christian Peters also pitched for the Pilots out of the bullpen before Knutson tossed the final 2.0 innings.
UH used four pitcher on the night, with reliever Calvin Turchin (0-1) taking the loss.
Tomorrow the two teams will play a double header, with first pitch of the first game set for 3:05 p.m. (Pacifc).
