Pickles prevail at Lodi, 7-5

Published 12:00 am Saturday, June 18, 2016

The Portland Pickles’ bullpen has run into trouble at times this season, and Saturday night was no exception.

But the Pickles were able to hold on in the ninth inning for a 7-5 win over the Lodi Crushers, evening their series in California at 1-1.

The final game on the weekend trip for Portland’s college wood-bat baseball team will be at 6 p.m. Sunday.

The Pickles led Saturday’s game 7-1 going into the bottom of the ninth.

Portland, which had lost four in a row, improved to 4-7 in the new Great West League.

Lodi is 5-9.

The Pickles gave up 14 hits, but first baseman Steven Chavez had three of Portland’s 10 hits and was 3 for 3 with two doubles and two runs scored.

Also for the Pickles, outfielder Joey Sanchez was 2 for 5 and scored twice and Nick Grimes had an eight-inning double that drove in two runs.

Zander Clarke, an infielder from UCLA, made his Pickles debut and doubled home the game’s first run in the first inning.

Kyle Lucke (1-0) got the win, going five innings as the starter and allowing seven hits and two walks but no runs. He struck out seven.

Declan Kearney tossed three innings of middle relief, getting three Ks without a walk. He allowed four hits and one run.

Portland returns home to Walker Stadium for a six-game homestand that starts Tuesday night against the Medford Rogues.