Matthew Peters extends his hitting streak to 11 games with three hits, but Saint Mary’s defeats Portland 6-5
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Ian Gordon hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning to lift the Saint Mary’s Gaels past the Portland Pilots 6-5 in a West Coast Conference baseball game on Sunday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field. UP senior Matthew Peters went 3-for-4, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games, while knocking in two runs.
Gordon’s two run shot followed an RBI double by Mike Harris that had tied the game at 4-4 off of Portland (12-27, 2-10 WCC) reliever Brian Yoakum (1-1). Yoakum pitched 1.0 for the loss.
Starter Austin Dirkx struck out five and gave up four hits in 5.0 innings, before giving way to the UP bullpen. Six pitchers took the hill for Portland.
Chris Duke (1-0), who had relieved pitcher Michael Nisco in the bottom of the sixth, pitched 1.0 inning to pick up his first win of the year for Saint Mary’s (23-16, 8-4 WCC). Reliever Dan Lewis allowed one hit in three scoreless innings for his fourth save of the season. Starter Ian Farmer allowed four runs on seven hits in 4.0 innings.
The Pilots took a 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Junior Justin Ehlers led the inning off with a double to left-center field. After a Sean Nicol ground out, sophomore Cory Wiltshire scored Ehlers with a single down the left field line. Sophomore Danny Meier then was plunked, before Peters scored both Ehlers and Meier with a double to left-center field.
SMC responded with a run in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Sam Carter.
Portland added another run in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on first and second, senior Travis Vetters sent an RBI single up the middle that gave Portland a 4-1 lead.
Adam Hicks then pulled Saint Mary’s within a run with a two-run single in the sixth, making the score 4-3.
In the seventh, Yoakum replaced Portland reliever Chris Siegfried after a two-out walk. Harris sent Yoakum’s first offering to the gap in left-center field that tied the game at 4-4. On the very next pitch, Gordon sent a home run through the wind that barely cleared the center field wall and gave the Gales their first lead of the game at 6-4.
The Pilots scored their last run of the game on a Nik Kosach sacrifice fly to right field that plated Meier in the seventh.
Portland outhit the Gaels 11-8, led by Peters with three. Peters also had two RBI’s. Meier went 2-for-3 and scored three times. Ehlers also went 2-for-3, while scoring once.
Orben Frederick and Harris each had two hits for Saint Mary’s, while Gordon and Hicks each knocked in two runs.
Both teams committed one error.
The Pilots next step out of conference to play the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis, Ore., on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Pilots then host Concordia for a non-conference game on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Joe Etzel Field.
