Sophomore Jordon Grader tossed eight shutout innings before allowing a pair of runs in the ninth, but held on for a complete-game victory as Porterville College beat the visiting Cerro Coso College Coyotes by a final score of 6-2 on Wednesday to open a three-game Central Valley Conference series.

The victory was the second in three games for the Pirates (5-30, 1-15 CVC) as well as their first conference win of the season.

Grader was nearly untouchable for eight innings as he held the Coyotes scoreless and scattered three hits. He was an out away from a shutout, but a lead-off single and a two-out walk was followed by a two-run double by Cerro Coso's Troy Hughes.

After an error allowed runners on first and third, Grader got Coyotes pinch hitter Chris Sankey to pop up and end the game.

Grader improved to 3-9 overall on the mound for the Pirates. He struck out three and walked one.

The Pirates' offense also did its part in the win. Holding a narrow 1-0 lead, Porterville blew the game open with a five-run, seventh-inning. PC took advantage of a pair of errors and got RBI singles from Jose Narvaiz and Jordan Szolek in the rally.

Szolek, Fritz Bowers, and Dane Wasden all had two hits for Porterville. Wasden's RBI double in the sixth drove in Szolek to open up the scoring for the Pirates.

Porterville and Cerro Coso resume their series with Game 2 on Friday (Apr. 21) at 1 p.m. in Ridgecrest followed by the series finale also at Cerro Coso on Saturday (Apr. 22) at noon.