PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The Portland Pilots will look to build on a decisive series-opening victory when they host the Holy Cross Crusaders in the second game of their four-game set Friday at Joe Etzel Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. under cloudy skies with temperatures near 49 degrees.

Portland (5-6) dominated Thursday’s opener, winning 15-3. Carter Gaston earned the win with five scoreless innings, allowing five hits and striking out three. Leo Cote went 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBIs, and Cody Nitowitz also drove in three runs.

Gaston, a player to watch for the Pilots, has been stellar in his last two starts, pitching 10.1 innings without allowing an earned run.

Holy Cross (4-8) seeks to rebound after mustering only three runs on Thursday. A bright spot in the loss was reliever Dan Mateffy, who threw 1.1 hitless innings with one strikeout. Mateffy is a key arm for the Crusaders, though his recent outings have been inconsistent, including a tough five-run appearance against Florida International on Feb. 21.

The Crusaders had found some momentum prior to this series, winning three of four at Seattle last weekend, but were cooled by Portland’s pitching Thursday.

Statistical projections present a conflicting outlook. Interstat’s game simulator predicts a 5-3 Holy Cross victory, while its ELO rating system gives Portland a 71.1% probability to win.

Following Friday’s contest, the teams will meet again Saturday and Sunday to conclude the series. Portland then prepares for a home series against Connecticut next weekend, while Holy Cross continues its road trip with a midweek game at Massachusetts before opening Patriot League play at Army.