PORTLAND, Ore. -- After falling behind early in the game to Portland, Gonzaga pulled ahead in the seventh inning and added insurance in the ninth to record a 3-1 victory over the Pilots in West Coast Conference action. Junior outfielder Travis Vetters extended his hitting streak to 12 games for the Pilots (12-21, 3-10 WCC), while Kiel Thibault smacked two doubles and went 3-for-4 for Gonzaga (21-13, 8-4 WCC).
Portland jumped out to an early lead after senior third baseman Jason Krohn crushed a towering solo home run well over the left-center field fence, his fourth of the 2005 campaign.
Pilots starter Given Kutz did not allow a Gonzaga hit until the fourth inning, when Darin Holcomb laced a single to center field. Holcomb scored later that inning on one of Thibault’s two doubles on the game.
Gonzaga took the lead in the seventh inning after Bulldog shortstop Aaron McGuinness singled home Thibault, who scored from second base.
Portland had a golden opportunity to knot the game at two in the bottom of the eighth. Travis Vetters opened the inning with a single and advanced to third on an error and a passed ball, but Bulldogs starter Josh Monroe was able to pitch his way out of the jam. With Vetters on third and no outs, Monroe struck one batter out and induced two ground balls to escape from the inning unscathed.
Gonzaga added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning when McGuinness again scored Thibault, this time on a squeeze bunt off Pilot reliever Josh Roberts. The Pilots failed to generate any offense in their half of the ninth.
Monroe (6-2) earned the complete-game win, while Kutz (5-4) was charged with the loss. Kutz scattered seven hits over eight-plus innings pitched, struck out five, and allowed three runs.
The three-game series between the two teams will conclude Sunday with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. at Joe Etzel Field. Portland will entertain Washington in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday afternoon before returning to WCC action at home against San Diego next weekend.
