Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland freshman outfielder Garrett Queen fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle and knocked in six runs as the Pilots defeated the Hawaii Rainbows 13-2 on the first day of the Rose City Invitational at PGE Park on Friday. The Pilots outhit the Rainbows 15-5.
It’s the fourth straight win for Portland, which improves to 12-7 on the year. The Rainbows, who topped the Washington Huskies 9-7 in 10 innings to open the Rose City Invite on Friday afternoon, drop to 11-7
The 13 runs were more than enough support for UP starter Mark Triolo (3-2), who worked 7.0 innings. The right-hander allowed just five hits and two earned runs, while striking out eight.
Reliever Ed Wakefield retired all six batters he faced and struck out three.
Hawaii starter Jared Alexander, who entered the game with a 0.0 ERA and a .156 opponents batting average, was roughed up for seven earned runs on seven hits in just 2.2 innings of work, He drops to 0-1 on the season. Reliever Alex Capaul didn’t fare much better, allowing six earned runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings.
The Pilots, who were the visiting team, got on the board first when they strung some hits together with no outs in the top of the second inning. After Kraus drilled a double to right-center field, senior 1B Chase Powell traded places with him with a triple of his own to make it 1-0. Powell then scored on a wild pitch.
Queen then kept the hit-parade going with his first hit of the game and his first collegiate home run. The two-run shot hit the scoreboard high above the wall in left-center field to make it 4-0.
After Hawaii scored its first run in the bottom half of the second, Queen knocked in two more runs in the top of the third with a double to help give UP a 7-1 lead.
An inning later, Queen picked up two more RBI’s with a single to left field. Queen’s single followed a two-run double by junior OF Austin Pearce as the Pilots built a 12-2 through four innings.
UP’s final run came on a solo home run by freshman C Beau Fraser in the top of the fifth. Fraser’s shot was a frozen rope that just did clear the fence in left.
Fraser, Kraus and Pearce each finished with two hits for Portland. Pearce finished with three RBI’s.
The Pilots now conclude the opening day of the tournament with a game against the Oregon Ducks on Friday night. The tourney, which is hosted by the University of Portland, continues with three games on Saturday and two more on Saturday. UW and UO open Saturday with a game at 11:00 a.m. Hawaii and the Ducks follow with a game at 3:00 and the Pilots and Huskies are set to play at 6:00 p.m.
