SPOKANE, Wash.- Junior catcher Joe Watson belted his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the eighth inning, but the Gonzaga bats gave starter Eric Dworkis plenty of run support in the Bulldogs 11-5 victory over the Pilots Friday afternoon at Avista Stadium. Gonzaga (13-21, 6-7 WCC) had four players with multiple hits, led by Bobby Carlson’s 3-for-4, four-RBI performance. Jeffrey Crinklaw increased his batting average to a team-best .320 after a 2-for-3 day at the plate for Portland (7-27, 3-10 WCC).

The Pilots broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning as right fielder Justin Pierce singled home Crinklaw, who led off with a base hit of his own. Gonzaga rallied to score four runs in the bottom half of the inning off the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week, Matthew Peters. Carlson started the onslaught with a two-out, two-run double to right field on a 3-2 pitch. Matt Reding followed with another double to score Carlson and Mike Rundle singled down the fight field line to make it 4-1 Bulldogs.

The Pilots scored two more in the fifth, as Jesse Rodgers led off with a double and advanced to third on Gustaf Little’s single up the middle. Nik Kosach brought Rodgers home with a sacrifice fly and Little would later score on Crinklaw’s flyout to center field.

Gonzaga would chase Peters in the fifth with three more runs, again all with two outs. After a fielding error and walk put the first two runners on, Peters retired the next two Bulldog batters on weak popouts. Jeff Culpepper then singled home one run and after a hit by pitch, Carlson plated two more with a single to the hole on the left side.

Watson’s two-run, opposite field blast in the eighth made it 7-5, but Gonzaga scored four more in the bottom of the frame to hold off the Pilots.

Peters (2-6) allowed seven runs, four earned, on six hits in 4.2 innings of work. Dworkis (6-2) went the distance, striking out 10 and not allowing a walk in his third complete game of the season.

Crinklaw was the only Pilot with more than one hit, tallying his second triple of the year and extending his hitting streak to 12 games. Cullpepper, Reding and Rundle had two hits apiece for the Bulldogs.

The teams will continue their three-game WCC series on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s game is set for 3 p.m., while Sunday’s contest is slated for a 1 p.m. start time.