Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 STOCKTON, Calif. - 
Pacific 6, Northern Colorado 5

In the first game of the Saturday twinbill, Pacific came from behind by scoring two runs in the bottom of the eighth for a 6-5 win over the Bears. The Tigers and Bears traded four-run fifth innings in the contest. James Arakawa tallied the game-winning hit with a two-run double in the eighth.

Northern Colorado opened the scoring in the first with a single run, then put two runners on base in the fifth courtesy of a base hit and error with two outs. UNC scored four in the inning, pushing the lead to 5-0. Head coach Chris Rodriguez went to the bullpen, but the following five Bear batters reached base on three hits and two walks. Tiger starter Marv Guarin finished his first outing with 4.2 innings, giving up three hits, three runs, one earned and striking out four.

Meanwhile, the Tiger offense threatened in the first four innings but did not score, leaving seven runners stranded, including the bases jammed in the first. Pacific did not get a base hit despite the base runners until Colby Canales singled in the fourth. In the fifth, the Tigers chased UNC starter Ian Torpey with back-to-back singles by James Karakowa and Brandon Montheral. Jeremy Lea greeted the bullpen with a two-run double. Ben Nemivant doubled home Lea for the third run of the inning. After Jacob Weiss was hit by a pitch, Canales hit a single up the middle to bring home Nemivant to pull within one, 5-4.  

Jackson Ertz steadied the ship in relief. After giving up a walk and hit to start, he settled down to pitch 3.1 innings, giving up three hits but no runs. He retired the last seven batters he faced. Ertz got the win in relief, while Hunter Schilperoort earned the save by pitching a scoreless ninth inning. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Weiss singled was moved to second on a Canales sacrifice. Chaz Myers was hit by a pitch. Both runners then scored on an Arakawa double into left-center, pushing the Tigers into the lead for the first time, 6-5. 


Pacific 12, Northern Colorado 2 

The Tigers rode an offensive outburst to roll over the Bears 12-2 to their third win to start the season and locking up the series win. Thomas Gavello and Jacob Weiss both homered for the Tigers, and Hunter Hayes gets his first win of the season. 

The Tigers jumped on poor defense from the Bears early. James Arakawa brought in two runs on a single in the first inning after the first two batters reached and advanced on errors. Northern Colorado briefly tied the game before the Tigers took the lead for good in the third inning. James McClenaghan drove in two more runs with a single to right field as the Tigers leapt back in front 4-2. 

Last year's home run leader, Gavello, got his first of the season to extend the Tigers lead to 6-2 before Arakawa scored on an error. After six solid innings from Hayes, Nick Swanson came in from the bullpen to preserve the lead. The Tigers scored four more runs in the bottom of the seventh, highlighted by a Weiss home run to help the Tigers stretch the lead to 10 runs. 

"Getting five or six innings out of the starters this early in the season is phenomenal," says Head Coach Chris Rodriguez on the starters this series. "It all starts with them. They set the tone and the pace of the game. They keep putting zeros up, and our offense will grind itself out. Getting away with using only three guys a game is phenomenal. We still have enough guys left in the bullpen for a game four."

The Tigers cruised through the final two innings to pick up the win. The Tigers will be back in action tomorrow for a Sunday afternoon matchup looking for the series sweep. Zach Patterson will start on the mound for the Tigers.