LA VERNE, Calif. -- The Lewis & Clark Pioneers scored four runs in the eighth inning in an 11-8 loss to the La Verne Leopards on Friday in the Pios' season opener. The game was called after eight innings when daylight ran out at Ben Hines Field.

Michael Contreras, who earlier in the game hit a RBI double, singled in Tyler Gannon for the first run of the eighth inning. Jack Thomson's triple plated two more runs before Zack Kon hit an RBI single to cut the margin to 10-8. The triple was the first of Thomson's career.

Matthew Dodd was one of three for La Verne with multiple RBI. Dodd also had three hits.

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Key Moments

Contreras' double in the second inning happened after Gannon scored on a La Verne error, one of three by the Leopards in the game. Trailing 2-0, La Verne tied the game at two before posting a five-run fourth inning. The inning chased Pios starter Jordan Gonzalez from the game after 3 1/3 innings with two strikeouts and seven hits allowed.

Lewis & Clark (0-1) bounced back, though, and scored two runs in the next half inning. Kon singled for an RBI before Dylan Moore's sacrifice fly added another. Moore joined Contreras with a double in the game.

"We had a lot of good things happen today," head coach Matt Kosderka said. "In the past, after giving up a big inning, we would have lost our focus, but the guys battled and gave us a chance before we literally ran out of daylight.

"It's always tough traveling and playing on a natural grass field against a good team in your first game," Kosderka continued. "They gave us a few extra outs, which we took advantage of. We just weren't able to get out of the fourth inning without minimizing the damage."

Sam Helms scored after reaching on a second-inning error by the Leopards. In the fifth, Jacob Serafini reached on an error to start the inning in which the Pios scored twice.

Deeper Look

• Contreras had his second multi-hit game and joined Kon and Thomson with two hits apiece
• All three had two RBI apiece, while Moore added the seventh for the Pios
• Lewis & Clark left nine on base, while La Verne stranded six
• Brian Tatman, Stephen Baker and Sean Vanderaa combined for four-plus innings of relief and gave up four runs
• Vanderaa's appearance is the first of his career, while Tatman faced the most batters (10)
• Contreras was caught stealing, while Joey Oda committed Lewis & Clark's only error
• Kon and Thomson turned a double play
• Gerald Terry earned the win for La Verne (1-0) and pitched three innings on three hits, two runs and four strikeouts

Looking Ahead

The Pioneers play a doubleheader with Claremont M-S beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday.