PORTLAND, Ore.- The University of Portland baseball team gave up eight runs in the second inning and never recovered as the University of British Columbia claimed a 12-4 exhibition victory at Pilot Stadium Tuesday afternoon. Both teams used a predetermined pitching rotation that sent a combined 16 pitchers to the mound, including nine hurlers on the Pilots side. Brad Ashman pitched three shutout innings to earn the win for the Thunderbirds, while Joe Jones was the losing pitcher of record for Portland.
After Pilot starter Kyle Corra pitched a scoreless first, Jones entered the game and got in trouble as Brenden Kornberger reached on an error and Chris Ames walked. Jones was then spotted for three consecutive hits and another walk before freshman Brian Cox was called in to from the bullpen. Cox retired the side, but not before a two-run single by Adam Campbell and a bases-clearing triple down the right field line by Kornberger.
After two more runs by UBC in the fourth, Pilot freshman Adam Kerr tripled to center field as Campbell missed a diving catch and allowed the ball to roll all the way to the fence. Rhett Parker and Billy Krause came around and scored easily on the play.
The Thunderbirds answered with two-more runs in the fifth on Connor Janes’ double to right center scoring Campbell and Jeff Tobin.
Portland scored the last runs of the game in the bottom half of the inning as Gustav Little roped a leadoff single to left field. Josh Goff reached first on a grounder to shortstop that was bobbled. Mike McRae then singled home Little and Goff scored on a catcher’s interference call two batters later.
Ashman went 3.0 innings, giving up three hits and ringing up three Pilot batters. He was credited with the win because of the predetermined pitching rotation, allowing him to be the pitcher of record despite not going five innings. Pilot hurlers Sean Sargent, Kevin Clausen, Given Kutz and Trent Kristjanson each pitched one inning without incident.
Billy Krause went 3-for-4 on the day with a run and a RBI for Portland. Campbell finished 3-of-5 with two runs scored and two RBI.
The Thunderbirds scored 12 runs on 12 hits and committed three errors, while Portland had four runs on nine hits and two errors.
The Pilots continue regular-season action at the Banana Belt Tournament held in Lewiston, Idaho and hosted by Lewis-Clark State. Portland faces Washington State and Utah Valley State on Fri., March 5. The Pilots then take on Gonzaga in a nonconference match-up on March 6 before concluding the tourney against host LC State on Sun., March 7.
