STOCKTON, Calif. - James Free II hit a pair of home runs and the Tigers out-hit Portland 17-10, but the Pilots capitalized on four errors for a 10-7 win in game one.

Free finished with four hits in the ballgame. Danny Mayer added a home run, while lake Barry posted three-hit games. Ryan Schalch and Kevin Sandri each tallied two hits on the evening.

The Tigers mounted a late rally with a pair of solo home runs and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Portland hung on for the win to improve to 9-32-1 overall and 5-14 in the West Coast Conference. Pacific falls to 13-26 overall, 2-17 in the WCC.

Pacific picked up three runs in the first as Matt Tarantino doubled down the left field line and Free hit his ninth home run of the year over the center field fence. Schalch followed with a single to left, and after a wild pitch and a walk, Blake Barry singled for a 3-0 lead.

The Pilots answered with a run in the second with a walk, a hit by pitch and an error on the infield.

In the Tigers' second, Tarantino tripled to center and trotted home on a passed ball.

Portland tied the game in the third, as Beau Brundage reached on an error and Matt Kelly singled to center. Kevin wade followed with a double to left for one run, and then Cody Hawken and Mike Hicks each posted RBI groundouts.

The Tigers regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning as Barry doubled to center and Carter Hayes singled through the left side for a 5-4 lead.
 
But the Pilots knotted the game in the fourth, as Michael Forgione singled and stole second and came in to score on a single from Brundage.

Pacific starter Ryan Shreve pitched into the fifth, when Portland added on, scoring four runs. Hawken tripled and Hicks delivered an RBI single. A pop-up in shallow center was mishandled, allowing a second run to score. The Tigers called on Bailey Hansen, and after a pair of walks, a run came in on a passed ball and a throw down to second on a stolen base attempt.

In the seventh, Portland scored another on a pair of walks and a RBI single from Brundage.

Free added his second home run of the game in the bottom of the eighth.

Mayer led off the ninth with a solo shot to pull within 10-7. Lucas Halstead followed with a single to center, but Marty Luckenbach came in from the bullpen and retired the next two batters. Sandri worked a walk to bring the tying run to the plate, and Jimmy Boras ripped a long fly out to the warning track, but it was caught before the wall for end the game.

Only three of the eight runs charged to Shreve were earned, who fell to 1-4. Miles Haddad tossed 2.2 innings of one-hit ball to finish up for Pacific.

Jordan Horak (2-7) picked up the win for Portland, as he allowed two earned runs on five hits in 4.1 innings. Luckenbach earned his fifth save.

Game two of the series is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday.