Stockton, Calif. - Beginning its final series of the 2015 season, Pacific came up with its best pitching performance of the season en route to a 2-0 shutout of Portland at Klein Family Field on Friday, May 15. The shutout for the Tigers (14-35, 10-15 WCC) was their first of the season as Pacific held the Pilots (10-42, 5-20 WCC) to just five hits.

In possibly his final collegiate start for the Tigers, junior Jake Jenkins (5-6) came up with a season-best performance on the mound as the third-year ace went 7.0 innings of shutout ball to pick up his fifth-straight quality start of the year. Using a good mix of pitches to keep the Pilots off balance throughout the night, Jenkins scattered just four hits over his seven innings while striking out a season-best nine batters. The nine strike outs was one short of the juniors career high after he struck out 10 against Alabama State during his sophomore campaign. In two starts against Portland in two seasons in the WCC, Jenkins has thrown 16.0 innings while allowing just eight hits and one earned run while striking out 16.

Even when the Pilots were able to get on base against the junior, they wre quickly dispatched as the Tigers came up with three double plays in the field including a critical yet uncommon, 2-3-2, double play in the first to end an early threat. With runners at second and third and only one out, Jenkins was able to get Kevin Farley chasing a pitch in the dirt for the strike out. On the ensuing throw to first, the Pilots tried to steal a run but saw the early tally cut down at the plate on a perfect throw back home by freshman Nate Verlin for the third out of the inning.

The early threat against Jenkins would be the only jam the junior would face before giving way to setup man Michael Hager in the seventh after issuing a leadoff walk. Inheritting a runner and putting a second batter on via a walk, Hager shut down the threat with a pair of strikeouts to push his season total to 47 in just 40.1 IP.

In the ninth, Pacific looked to closer Vince Arobio (8) to finish out the shutout and nail down the victory for Jenkins. Despite getting into early trouble, Arobio was unfazed as the sophomore induced a double play for the first two outs of the inning before getting Brady Kerr to chase for the final out of the game. The save was Arobio's sixth in WCC play, the most for any closer in the conference in 2015.

With their pitching staff dealing on the mound, the Tiger bats did just enough at the plate in support to give Jenkins a chance at the win. Threatening throughout the night but unable to break through, the tides finally turned in the bottom of the seventh inning when Pacific rallied for a pair of runs. With a J.J. Wagner on due to a leadoff walk, the Tigers came up with a pair of one-out infield singles to set up the inning when Tyler Sullivan bunted his way one and Jimmy Gosano put one right over the third base bag for the hit. Seeing the bases loaded and knowing he just needed a fly ball to break the tie, Louis Mejia did his job as the junior sent one deep to the left field wall as he just missed coming up with the big fly but settled for the sacrifice instead. Following closely behind, Verlin added a second run with a single through the left side as Pacific posted the crooked number on the board that the bullpen would make hold up over the final two innings.

In total, Pacific came up with nine hits led by Gosano and Dallas Correa's two hit nights as seven of the nine starters came up with a hit. The loss was charged to Brandon Synder (0-5) as the senior lefty was making just his third start of the year.

The Tigers will go for the series-clinching victory on Saturday, May 16 as the Tigers and the Pilots meet for game two of the three-game series at Klein Family Field. The game is set for a 2:00 pm first pitch.