HILLSBORO, Ore. --- Portland's Jake Holcroft was 4-for-4, Chad Stevens had a pair of two-run doubles and finished with five RBI's, and the Pilots were solid on the mound as they rolled to an 11-1 win over the Utah Valley Wolverines on Saturday afternoon at Ron Tonkin Field. The Pilots took three of four from the Wolverines to win the series.
 
The Pilots (6-1) got on the board in the bottom of the first inning to claim the early edge. Holcroft, the lead-off hitter, sent a triple deep into the right-center gap, and he scored a batter later when Stevens sent a slow roller to the short stop.
 
The Wolverines leveled the score with a tally in the top of the third, but in the home half of the inning the Pilots took advantage of a Utah Valley error and would eventually load the bases. Stevens then lifted a double into the left-center gap, scoring two and giving the lead back to the Pilots. Tracye Tammaro followed with an RBI ground out, and Sean Mulcare drove a single to left that also scored a run and made it a 5-1 game.
 
Before the inning was done, another run would come home on a wild pitch, and Nich Klemp sent an RBI single to center field that gave the Pilots a 7-1 advantage.
 
The lead would grow as Ben Petacsil brought in a run with a single to left field in the bottom of the fifth. Holcroft followed with his third hit of the day, a run-scoring single to right, and Stevens collected two more RBI's with another two-run double to put the Pilots up by 10 runs.
 
That was more than enough for the Portland pitchers, who combined to hold Utah Valley (1-7) to just five hits. Freshman Caleb Franzen (1-0) earns the win in his first collegiate start. The lefty from West Linn struck out three in 5.0 innings, he didn't issue a walk, and he allowed just the one run on five hits.
 
Relievers Morgan White, Jacob Biesterfeld, and Nathaniel Brezner-Mendoza held the Wolverines scoreless during the final four innings. Brezner-Mendoza was flawless in the top of the ninth, retiring UVU in order, which included a strike out.
 
Utah Valley starter Mason Gray (0-1) yielded seven runs in 2.1 innings, and he was followed by four relievers out of the bullpen.
 
At 6-1, the Pilots are off to their best start to a season since 2012.

Next week the Pilots return to Ridgefield, Wash., to host the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks for a four-game series at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex. First pitch for the series opener on Friday is scheduled for 1 p.m.