A day after Portland holds San Francisco to only two runs, the Dons score ten today
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. --- The Portland Pilots fell into an early hole and never recovered as the San Francisco Dons defeated the Pilots 10-5 in a West Coast Conference baseball game on Friday afternoon at Benedetti Diamond. The Pilots, who won the first game of the three-game set yesterday 3-2, drop to 12-22 on the season and 2-6 in the conference.
Portland starter Sean Sargent (3-7) allowed seven runs, three earned, on five hits in three innings to pick up the loss.
San Francisco starter Aaron Poreda (3-4) lasted seven innings in the win. Poreda allowed four runs on seven hits, while striking out five for the Dons, who improve to 22-15 overall and 5-3 in the WCC.
Junior Jesse Rodgers had three hits in four at-bats for Portland, while senior Travis Vetters and freshman Paul Crowder each had two RBI’s.
With the game scoreless in the bottom of the second, San Francisco took the early lead by putting five runs on the board. With two on and one out, Daniel Morales knocked in the game’s first run with an infield single to third base. Still with two runners on, Sargent plunked two straight batters to force in another run. Joey Railey then knocked in run with a ground out, before Andrew Smith capped the scoring with a two-run single up the middle.
USF added two more in the third to take a 7-0 lead. Chris Bacigalupi had a solo home run and Lucas DeLong had an RBI single during the inning.
The Pilots responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. With one out and the bases loaded, Vetters drilled a two-run double to right field, scoring freshman Sean Nicol and junior Justin Ehlers. With runners still on second and third and only one out, Poreda was able to get out of the jam. Junior Adam Kerr popped up to short and junior James Allen flied out to right field.
Up 7-2, USF tacked on one run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth. Scott Cousins hit a two-run blast that hit the top of the scoreboard in right field in the sixth to make it a 10-2 game.
Portland countered with two in the seventh on a two-out, two-run home run by Crowder. The dinger to left field was Crowder’s second this season.
Senior pinch hitter Nik Kosach knocked in a run with a two-out single in the ninth.
Smith and DeLong both had three hits and two RBI’s for USF, as the Dons outhit the Pilots 13-10. Portland had two errors to zero for San Francisco.
The Pilots and Dons are scheduled to play the rubber match of the series tomorrow at 1 p.m.
