Portland scores 19 runs on 20 hits to top UC Davis 19-0 in the most lopsided UP shutout win since 1943
PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots scored 11 runs in the seventh inning and eased to a 19-0 win over UC Davis in a non-conference baseball game Friday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field. It’s the most runs scored by the Pilots since a 22-11 win against Santa Clara in 2002, and the most lopsided shutout win since a 20-0 defeat of Pacific in 1943.
Portland, who won for the fourth straight game to improve to 7-13, got at least one hit from 11 different players, led by Cory Wiltshire (pictured). The sophomore outfielder went 4 for 4 with three RBI’s and three runs.
Freshman Sean Nicol went 3 for 4 with three RBI’s, two doubles and two runs. Nicol, who played second base and shortstop during the win, also made 11 plays with no errors in the field. Portland converted four double plays for the game and didn’t commit an error.
Portland freshman Paul Crowder went 2 for 2 with two doubles and five RBI’s, all in the seventh inning.
Portland junior Josh Roberts (2-3) started on the hill and pitched eight solid innings. Roberts allowed only three hits, while striking out five. Sophomore Chris Siegfried retired the side in the ninth.
UC Davis drops to 10-10 this season. Aggies’ starter Bryan Evans (3-3) gave up three runs on six hits in 4.0 innings. The Pilots touched up UCD relievers Brad McAtee for eight runs in 2.1 innings and Ross Fenstermaker for seven runs in 1.2 innings.
In the first inning, UP took advantage of a lead-off double by Nicol. After junior Nik Kosach advanced Nicol to third with a sacrifice bunt, junior Jesse Rodgers knocked him in with a ground out to first.
The Pilots added two more in the fourth to make it a 3-0 lead. With runners on first and second, Wiltshire knocked in his first two runs on the day with a single to right field.
An inning later, Portland scored five off of McAtee, who had replaced Evans to start the inning. Sophomore Pat Geraghty, senior Travis Vetters, senior Matthew Peters, Wiltshire and Nicol all had RBI’s during the inning.
Already up 8-0 in the bottom of the seventh, the Pilots nearly batted around twice, while scoring 11 runs. With a run in and two runners on, Crowder sent a two-run double down the right field line to make it 11-0. Portland scored five more times before Crowder came to the plate again, this time with the bases loaded. Crowder then hit his second double of the inning to left-center field that cleared the bases.
Vetters finished 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI’s, while Peters also knocked in a pair. Geraghty and Sophomore Danny Meier both went 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Portland and UC Davis play again on Saturday at 1 p.m., before playing the final game of the three-game series on Sunday, also at 1 p.m.