PORTLAND, Ore. -- A seventh-inning home run was the cause of the Lewis & Clark Pioneers' 6-5 loss to the Warner Pacific Knights in the season opener on Saturday at Huston Sports Complex.

Payton Hergert hit the third home run of the game for the Knights to give Warner Pacific a one-run lead. The homer came after the Pios' took a 5-3 lead on Sydney Cross' first blast of the year.

Frankie Warden and Cross had three hits apiece, while Lisa Kumasaka knocked two from the leadoff spot. She also stole two bases.

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Key Moments

With the game tied 3-3, Cross followed Warden's double with a home run to left field. The homer came after the Pios hadn't picked up a hit in six batters.

It was one of three leads the Pioneers had in the game. Kumasaka scored on a failed double play by the Knights in the bottom of the first. She added another run when she singled in Hannah Urbach in the second. 

Katie Gleasman had two home runs for Warner Pacific. Both were two-run swings, the first in the second that gave the Knights a 2-1 lead, and the second tied the game at five in the sixth inning.

"I thought our team came out with a lot of energy and passion and played hard," head coach Shawna Cyrus said. "We let the first game slip away. We felt in control with our defense and at-bats, but the other team just had big clutch hits when they were down."

Savannah Dickson pitched over five innings, allowed five hits and four runs. Megan Anderson (0-1) took the loss in relief, struck out two and allowed a run on the final homer. 

Game 2

The Lewis & Clark Pioneers got two hits from Braylin Jenson and a triple from Kumasaka to wrap up their season-opening doubleheader with an 8-4 loss to the Warner Pacific Knights on Saturday.

Alyssa Abe made her first collegiate start, allowed four earned runs on five hits and struck out four.

Warner Pacific (3-1) hit two more home runs.

Key Moments

A leadoff home run by Devinne Amesquita in the second inning gave Warner Pacific the early lead. It was one of just two hits Abe allowed in the first four innings, with the other a two-RBI double by Makenzie Kimura in the fourth inning.

Olivia Brackin singled in a run in the third, and Kalea Kaui scored her first collegiate run in the fourth.

A four-run fifth inning gave the Knights a 7-2 lead. Warner Pacific had four extra-base hits in total during the game.

The Pios (0-2) started a rally in the bottom half of the fifth off a leadoff triple by Kumasaka. She scored when Lily Moffitt reached on an error, and then Moffitt crossed the plate when Megan Richardson reached the same way. In all, the Knights committed three errors in the inning. Cross grounded into a double play, and Kaui lined out to end the threat.

"I'm really excited about this new team," Cyrus said. "We have a lot of tools and depth in our lineup and on the mound. Excited to see what the future holds for us."

Deeper Look

• Lewis & Clark had a home run in their first two games for the fifth time in six seasons
• Warden had four hits in the doubleheader before leaving the second game when a pitch hit her helmet
• Cross, Jenson and Kumasaka had three hits in the series
• Jane Wilson got her first collegiate hit in pinch hitter duty during the second game
• Kaui and Kumasaka each had sacrifice bunts in the second game
• The Pios stranded 15 baserunners in the doubleheader, while Warner Pacific totaled 10
• Lewis & Clark's 10 hits in the debut are their most to open a season since it hit 12 against La Sierra in 2016
• Anderson pitched the final 2 1/3 innings and totaled three strikeouts

Looking Ahead

Lewis & Clark hosts Northwest Christian next weekend.