PORTLAND, Ore. – Utah Valley scored twice to tie it in the seventh, but Portland responded with four late runs to take the opener, 10-6, on Friday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field in Portland.
 
The Pilots improve to 4-7 on the year with the win, while UVU falls to 2-6 with the setback. The two teams will play a Saturday afternoon doubleheader followed by the series finale on Sunday.
 
The Wolverines were the first to get on the scoreboard in the contest with a four-run second inning to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Kade Poulsen, Mick Madsen and Tavyn Lords started the early rally with back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases with nobody out in the frame. Garrett Broussard was then hit by a pitch to drive in Poulsen, and Mitch Moralez followed with a two-run single to center to make it 3-0. Alexander Marco then capped the rally by reaching on an error to drive home Broussard and give UVU the early four-run cushion.
 
The Pilots then bounced back with four runs of their own in the third to tie the game at 4-4. Chad Stevens delivered the big hit in the frame for UP with a bases-clearing double. 
 
Still deadlocked at 4-4 in the sixth, Portland then took the lead thanks to an RBI triple from Sam Brown followed by an RBI single from starting pitcher Brett Gillis to make it 6-4. 
 
The UVU offense responded with two runs in the top of the seventh to tie it again at 6-all. After singles from Broussard and Moralez helped set the table, designated hitter Kase Ogata drove home Broussard with an RBI double to left to make it a one-run game. Drew Sims then tied it with a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Moralez. Portland reliever Peter Allegro then responded with an inning-ending strikeout to keep the game tied. 
 
Following a one-out double from UP's Hunter Montgomery, the Pilots then regained the lead thanks to a two-out RBI single from Jake Tsukada to give Portland a 7-6 advantage. 
 
After UVU was retired in order in the top of the eighth, the Pilots then managed to manufacture a trio of insurance runs in the last of the eighth to put the game away. 
 
Moralez led Utah Valley at the plate with a four-hit game by going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Broussard also had a multi-hit day with a 2-for-4 outing with an RBI and two runs scored. Stevens paced Portland by going 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and four batted in. Montgomery, Tsukada and Ben Patacsil all had two-hit days for UP.
 
Portland reliever Allegro was credited the win to improve to 1-1 on the season while Eli Morse pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth to earn his third save of the year. UVU senior Spenser Triplett was tagged with the loss in long relief to fall to 0-1 on the season.
 
The four-game non-conference series will continue with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT at Joe Etzel Field. The two teams will then close the series on Sunday afternoon.