STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific Tigers (1-0) used timely hitting and a strong starting pitching performance by senior Elijah Birdsong (1-0) to earn a 9-1 victory over Northern Colorado (0-1) at Klein Family Field on Friday evening. 
 
Birdsong, who missed the 2021 season with an injury, went 5 and 2/3 innings, holding the Bears to unearned one run on three base hits, striking out seven UNC hitters. 
 
Pacific jumped on UNC starter Riley Bost in the first inning. After a walk, a hit batter and two stolen bases, junior Brandon Motheral delivered a two-RBI double to stake the Tigers to a 1-0 lead. Pacific added single runs in the second and third innings. Senior Jeremy Lea hit a home run leading off the second and grad student James McClenaghan brought home the fourth run with a sacrifice fly in the third. 
 
Pacific added two insurance tallies in the seventh when sophomore Chaz Myers and junior Thomas Gavello both singled and eventually scored on a UNC error on McClenaghan's grounder.  The Tigers scored two more in the eighth on a two-RBI single by Gavello and a sacrifice fly by senior James Arakawa to take a 9-1. 
 
Senior Jackson Vaughan came in relief of the starter Birdsong. He pitched 1 and 1/3 scoreless, giving up two hits and striking out three. Senior Dylan Pottgieser pitched the final two innings, holding the Bears without a hit while striking out four. Overall, the Tiger pitching staff recorded 14 strikeouts. 
 
"Anytime you get a win at home, especially in the opener, in front of our biggest crowd here in a long time is terrific," said head coach Chris Rodriguez. "It was great to have fans in the stands again. They gave us energy and life in the game. It definitely helped us out tonight. It's fun to see people in the stands again."
 
The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday. Junior Marv Guarin will get the start in the 1 p.m. game and junior Hunter Hayes will get the nod in the second contest. The series will wrap up on Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m.