SEATTLE, Wash. --- With the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning, Portland senior Ryan Hoogerwerf left the yard with a grand slam over the left field wall, and the Pilots would go on to defeat the Washington Huskies 6-4 in a non-conference baseball game played on Tuesday evening at Husky Ballpark. Cody Hawken also homered for the Pilots, and Connor Knutson pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to inning collect his eighth save of the year.
Hoogerwerf's blast came with the Pilots (21-28) leading 2-1, and it happened after Portland had loaded the bases with two outs. On a 2-2 pitch, Hoogerwerf hammered it well out of the ballpark for his fourth homer of the year, and it gave the Pilots a five-run cushion the Huskies couldn't overcome.
Washington (25-22), who sits in fourth place in the Pac-12 and is currently No. 66 in the RPI, did get one back in the bottom of the fifth before adding two more in the seventh, but five Pilot pitchers combined to limit the Huskies' chances en route to the win.
It was Henry Cheney who drove in Portland's first run when he brought in Matt Kelly with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third. Kelly had previously led off the inning with a triple, his second of the year.
Hawken then stepped up to the plate and belted his team-leading ninth home run, which made it a 2-0 game.
UW scored their first run in the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run to cut the deficit in half, and they followed the Hoogerwerf grand slam with a run in the bottom of the fifth to pull within 6-2. The Huskies then appeared on the brink of a big inning in the bottom of the seventh as they loaded the bases. But the Portland defense came through with a clutch double play, sparked by Kelly, as the Pilots held UW to just two runs in the frame.
Cameron Richman started the game on the hill for the Pilots, and he allowed only one hit. He struck out four and didn't issue a walk in 4.0 innings. Tate Budnick (5-1) was next out of the bullpen, and he was awarded the win after tossing 2.0 innings of relief.
Christian Peters worked a scoreless inning, and usual Friday starter Eli Morse was called on to pitch an inning of scoreless relief in the top of the eighth.
Knutson then retired the Huskies in order in the bottom of the ninth, which included a game-ending strike out.
Washington starter Jack DeCooman (0-1) was the first of four Husky pitchers, and he's saddled with the loss after yielding two runs on four hits in 3.0 innings.
The Pilots next head to Malibu, Calif., to face the Pepperdine Waves in their final West Coast Conference series of 2018. The three-game series opens on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Eddy D. Field Stadium.
