Portland, OR—The Portland Pilots scored eight runs in the first four innings against the Highlanders Friday evening, and held on for a 10-6 victory in game one of this weekend's four-game series between the clubs.

Austin Sodders (0-2) made his third start of the season for the Highlanders (4-5), but he struggled with his control allowing six hits and walking five in two-and-one-third innings. Max Compton came on in relief in the third, striking out three in his 1.2 innings of work, but the Pilots touched him for two hits and three walks to lead 8-2 after four.

UC Riverside got on the board in the top half of the second as Aaron Cisneros turned on the first pitch he saw from Portland starter Jordan Wilcox (2-0) depositing it over the left field wall, and Thomas Walker scored from second on a Mark Contreras infield single.

Neither team dented the scoring column in the fifth, sixth or seventh, but the Highlanders plated four in the top of the eighth off of a pair of Pilots relievers to slice the lead to two, 8-6. Walker drove in two with a double to right, and Contreras drove in his second run of the evening with a double to center. Steven Mercado II brought home UC Riverside's sixth run of the day with a sac fly.

Portland (6-3) got two of those runs back in their half of the inning as Caleb Whalen hit a two-run homer to left.

Bill Sahlinger pitched a scoreless ninth for the Pilots to close out the game.

UC Riverside and Portland play games two and three of their four-game series on Saturday beginning at 1 pm PT.