PORTLAND, Ore.-The University of Portland carried a 5-0 lead into the sixth inning, but the San Francisco Dons scored the final eight runs of the game for an 8-5 win Saturday afternoon at Pilot Stadium. San Francisco designated hitter Scott Nelson’s two-out RBI-single capped a four-run seventh inning and Royce Fukuroku’s pinch-hit two-run single in the ninth propelled the Dons to victory. Portland’s Joe Watson had a two-run double, the Pilots’ only extra-base hit, and Travis Vetters extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a single in the fifth.

Portland (10-40, 5-21 WCC) put five runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie and chase San Francisco (25-29, 12-14 WCC) starter Ryan Muller from the game. Junior third baseman Mike McRae led off with a walk and advanced to second on freshman first baseman Adam Kerr’s single.

After a sacrifice and a wild pitch that brought home McRae, Portland tried a suicide squeeze with Gustaf Little at the plate. Little lunged for a pitch well off the plate and missed, allowing USF catcher Nick Cirbo to tag out Kerr at home for the second out of the inning. Little proceeded to walk and start a two-out rally as the next four Pilot batters pounded out hits. Watson finished the run with his two-run double to left center for a 5-0 Pilot lead.

Pilot freshman starter Sean Sargent cruised through the first five innings, striking out five Dons while not allowing a run. In the sixth, Sargent retired the first two batters before an error on a hard hit ball to shortstop Jesse Rodgers extended the inning. Cirbo would later bring home a pair of unearned runs with a single to left field, making it 5-2.

Sargent retired the first two batters of the seventh inning, but the Dons would tally four straight hits of their own to chase Sargent and tie the game at five. Portland went to the bullpen and brought in sophomore Matthew Peters, their usual Friday starter who has been bothered by a soar arm. Peters allowed the go-ahead single to Nelson before ending the frame.

Fukuroku provided the insurance with a two-run single to left in the ninth. Patrick McGuigan (3-3) earned the win in relief for the Dons, tossing 2.2 innings and striking out one. Nick Pereira earned his first save of the season after recording the final five outs.

Sargent (3-7) scattered 11 hits in 6.2 innings, allowing six runs (four earned) and striking out six. Jesse Rodgers was the only Pilot with two hits, while Nelson finished the day 3-for-4 with a run and the game-winning RBI for the Dons.

The teams conclude the three-game series at Pilot Stadium on Sun., May 16 at 1:00 p.m.