PORTLAND, Ore.- The Portland Pilots (8-32, 4-15 WCC) overcame a four-run deficit to beat the Saint Mary’s Gaels (12-31, 4-15 WCC), 6-5 on Friday afternoon at Pilot Stadium. Portland trailed 4-0 but evened the score with a four-run sixth inning, and put two more on the board in the eighth. Pilot sophomore Matthew Peters tossed his fourth complete game of the season, striking out a season-high seven batters.
After giving up three first-inning runs, Peters (3-7) settled into a groove and allowed just two runs and four hits over the last eight innings.
“The team kept us in the game, even when I was struggling,” Peters said. “The guys just stayed positive and I played off of that.”
Saint Mary’s left fielder Preston Young put the Gaels up 3-0 with a double that followed Sam Carter’s RBI-single in the first inning. SMC tacked on another run in the fourth inning on Stefan Foushee’s double that plated Gilbert Gil.
After getting just two hits through the first five innings, Portland belted out four hits in the sixth to tie the game. Gustaf Little started the rally with a single through the right side. Nik Kosach walked and Travis Vetters doubled hard to left field scoring Little. Jeffrey Crinklaw’s high-bouncer got over third baseman Bryan Byrne’s head and scored both Kosach and Vetters. An RBI-groundout by Justin Pierce made it 4-4.
The Pilots led off the eighth with three consecutive singles, the latter by Joe Watson giving Portland a 5-4 edge. A balk by pitcher Jordan Simo accounted for Portland’s sixth and eventual game-winning run.
Adam Bellows’ pinch-hit, two-out home run in the ninth made it a one-run game, but Peters struck out Foushee to clinch the victory. Neither bullpen was a factor as both Peters and Simo went the distance. Simo (5-6) used just 86 pitches in his eight innings of work.
“We didn’t get off to a good start but Matt got stronger as the game went along,” said Pilot head coach Chris Sperry. “He’s really learning how to win even when he doesn’t have his best stuff. He did a great job.”
Crinklaw finished 2-for-4 with his 15th double of the season, two runs scored and two RBIs. Watson also had two hits for the Pilots, including the big go-ahead single in the eighth.
“When Joe (Watson) was in the batter’s box, I just had this feeling that he would be the hero, and he came through,” Sperry said. “That was just a good win. The team talked before the game and said they wanted to win at least nine of the last 17 games, so that was a good way to get it started.”
The teams will conclude their three-game West Coast Conference series with a doubleheader tomorrow. The first game is slated to start at 11:00 a.m. at Pilot Stadium.
