Senior Travis Vetters knocks in the winning run with his fourth hit as Portland defeats San Diego 4-3
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Senior Travis Vetters knocked in the winning run with double in the 15th inning as the Portland Pilots defeated the San Diego Toreros 4-3 in a West Coast Conference baseball game on Sunday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field. It was the fourth hit of the game for Vetters, who knocked in senior Matthew Peters with a lined shot to the left-center gap. Peters had reached base with a two-out single.
On Vetters’ double, the relay throw to home was up the third base line as Peters made a head-first slide around San Diego catcher Logan Gelbrich to score the winning run.
Portland improves to 11-19 on the season and 1-5 in the conference. USD is now 21-12 and 4-2.
Both teams got solid performances from the bullpen as the game remained tied at 3-3 for more than eight innings. Portland reliever Brian Yoakum (1-0) picks up his first win of the season. Yoakum, a sophomore, gave up a hit and struck out one in 1.1 innings.
In the top of the 15th, San Diego loaded the bases with two outs after an intentional walk to Steve Singleton. USD’s Gelbrich then got ahead in the count 3-1. Yoakum followed with two straight strikes to strikeout Gelbrich looking to get out of the jam.
San Diego reliever Matt Couch (5-1) picks up the loss after throwing 9.0 innings and 111 pitches in relief. Couch, who saved the first two games for the Toreros in the three-game series against UP, gave up just the one run on five Portland hits. He struck out 11 and had one stretch where he retired 16 straight Pilots.
Portland reliever Austin Dirkx was just as effective going 7.2 innings in relief. He held USD scoreless, while only giving up three hits and striking out three. Dirkx didn’t walk a batter and at one point retired 14 straight San Diego hitters.
Both teams used four pitchers.
San Diego scored one run in the second inning and two more in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead. Ryan Lilly gave USD the early lead with an RBI single in the second. In the fifth, Josh Romanski followed a Kevin Hansen double with an RBI triple down the right field line, making it 2-0. Justin Snyder then made it 3-0 with a single to left.
Portland responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases load, senior Nik Kosach drew a walk to pick up the RBI. With one and the bases still loaded, Peters made it a one-run game with a sacrifice fly to center field that plated freshman Sean Nicol.
Still down 3-2 an inning later, the Pilots tied it with an RBI double by Nicol down the left field line, scoring junior Andrew Wrisley.
The bullpens then took over. A double by Peters in the bottom of the seventh inning was the only hit for either team until the 11th inning.
Portland had 15 hits, led by Vetters, who finished 4-for-6 with an RBI. Peters went 3-for-6 with an RBI and a run. Nicol also had three hits, in seven at-bats, scored once and knocked in a run. Junior Jesse Rodgers went 2-for-5 and junior Adam Kerr was 2-for-2.
Shane Buschini and Hansen each had three hits for the Toreros, who finished with 14 total. Neither team committed an error.
Portland next plays Oregon State on Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Joe Etzel Field. The Pilots then hit the road for a three-game series next weekend at San Francisco.
