Portland, Ore. — Niagara scored first and kept fighting back, but Portland's potent middle innings proved too much to overcome Friday night, as the Pilots handed the Purple Eagles an 8-5 defeat at Joe Etzel Field.

The Purple Eagles dropped to 0-7 on the season while the Pilots moved to 3-5.

Niagara wasted little time getting on the board. Noah Konings led off the game with a single to shallow left field, and Rees Kozar sent the next pitch down the left field line for a triple, scoring Konings to put Niagara up 1-0. Two batters later, Jacob Brooks singled to short to plate Kozar, and the Purple Eagles had a 2-0 lead before Portland had recorded an out.

Portland answered with a run in the bottom of the first on a Dakota Chun double that scored Brady Bean, then erupted for two runs in the second inning. Cole KatayamaStall worked a walk, stole second and eventually stole third, scoring on a throwing error. Cody Nitowitz then bunted his way on, and Bean singled through the right side to score Gage Bruce and give Portland a 3-2 lead it would never surrender.

The Pilots grew there in the third, when Salk launched a two-run home run to deep left field off Fink to make it 5-2.

In the third, Konings doubled down the right field line and scored on a Curtis McKay single up the middle to make it 5-3.  

In the fourth, Brooks reached on a Portland throwing error, moved to third on an Elijha Hammill single and scored on a Green sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit t0 5-4.

The Pilots pushed across two more runs in the bottom of the frame on a Salk sacrifice fly and a KatayamaStall RBI single before Fink was lifted with the bases loaded.

CJ Hurley entered in relief and escaped the fourth-inning jam, stranding two inherited runners, but Portland had built a 7-2 lead through four innings.

Niagara added another run in the fifth. Konings singled and advanced on a wild pitch, then scored on another Brooks infield single after Nick Cote reached on a throwing error. Hammill drew a walk to load the bases with two out, but Green struck out swinging to end the threat with Niagara trailing 7-5.

Eddie Dolansky was effective, striking out four and allowing just one unearned run over three innings of work, but the Pilots garnered a leadoff home run to center to make it an 8-5 ballgame.

Jack Dickinson was sharp in the eighth, walking two but allowing no runs while throwing 19 pitches. 

Game Notes

Niagara is now 1-3 all-time against Portland

Konings continued his hot streak going 3-for-5

Kozar and Brooks both tallied two base knocks

Fink struck out six Pilots batters

Up Next

Niagara continues their season with Portland Saturday February 28 at 3:00 PM.