SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. --- Pitchers Ari Ronick and Austin Dirkx held the San Francisco bats in check and senior Matthew Peters knocked in two runs as the Portland Pilots topped the Dons 3-2 in a West Coast Conference baseball game Thursday afternoon at Benedetti Diamond. Peters went 2-for-4 as the Pilots improve to 12-21 overall and 2-5 in the conference.

Peters has at least two hits in five straight games and has 13 hits in his past 24 at-bats. He’s also knocked in five runs in the past two games.

Ronick, a sophomore, evens his record at 3-3 on the season after allowing two runs on eight hits in six innings against the Dons. Ronick also struck out seven. Dirkx, a junior, struck out three, while yielding only two hits, in three scoreless innings to pick up his seventh save of the season.

USF got two runners on in the ninth with two outs before Dirkx got Jonathan Norfolk to pop up to second baseman Sean Nicol, ending the game.

The game remained scoreless until the third inning when Portland got its first hits and first runs of the game. After sophomore Danny Meier reached second base with a two-out double, Peters brought him home with a double to left field. Senior Travis Vetters followed Peters with an RBI double to left, giving the Pilots three straight two-baggers.

The Pilots scored what proved to be the game-winner in the top of the sixth inning. Still leading 2-0, Nicol reached base and advanced to second on an error by the USF left fielder. Junior Justin Ehlers, who was trying to advance Nicol with a sacrifice bunt, then reached base on a throwing error by the pitcher. With runners now on the corners and one out, Peters scored Nicol on a fielder’s choice. Ehlers was out on the play.

San Francisco scored once in the bottom of the sixth and added another run in the seventh to make it a one-run ball game. With two on and two out in the sixth, Lucas DeLong hit an RBI double against Ronick for San Francisco’s first run of the game. Ronick then induced an inning-ending ground out from pinch hitter Blake Nelson.

With no outs in the seventh, the Dons got two runners on with a Portland error and a base hit. Dirkx then replaced Ronick with runners on first and second. Dirkx struck out the first batter he faced before giving up an RBI single to center field by Stefan Gartrell. After Norfolk loaded the bases by reaching on another Portland error, Dirkx got Luke Sommer to line into an inning-ending double play. Vetters charged in from center field to make the catch and then tossed it to junior shortstop Jesse Rodgers, who doubled up Gartrell at second.

USF starting pitcher Scott Cousins went seven innings in the loss. John Quine pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth in relief.

Portland had seven hits for the game. Joey Railey and Norfolk each had two hits for the Dons, who totaled 10 hits and stranded 12 runners on base.

Each team committed two errors.

The Pilots are scheduled to play the Dons at 1 p.m. on Friday before playing the series finale on Saturday, also at 1 p.m.