Chase Powell

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. --- After Portland had scored eight unanswered runs to tie the game and send it into extra innings, San Francisco’s Kyle Morgan scored on a fielder’s choice in the tenth inning to give the Dons a 10-9 win over the Pilots on Friday afternoon. Portland junior 1B Chase Powell knocked in five runs on the day, including a game-tying solo home run in the eighth.

Portland, which is 4-4 in extra inning games this season, falls to 17-24 (2-11 West Coast Conference). USF improves to 24-17 and to 7-6 in the conference.

With the game tied at 9-9 in the tenth, Morgan reached on a Portland error to lead off the inning. After advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt, Morgan stole third base with Drew Johnson at the plate. Portland reliever Zach Varce then walked Johnson to make it runners on the corners with one out and Mitchell Bialoski batting. Bialoski knocked in the winning run with a grounder to the right side of the UP infield. Portland’s attempt to get Morgan at the plate was not in time.

Portland reliever Matthew Lange (3-5), who was replaced by Varce with one out in the tenth, is saddled with the loss.

Bialoski (3-5) , who pitched 2.0 innings of relief, picks up the win for USF, which used five pitchers on the day.

Trailing 9-1 after four innings, the Pilots scored eight unanswered runs during the next four innings to tie the game. Powell knocked in five runs during the comeback. Portland began its comeback with three runs in the fifth. Powell knocked in two of the runs with a single to right field with the bases loaded.

The Pilots matched the three runs in the fifth with three more in the sixth to pull within 9-7. With two outs, junior DH Cort Carpenter kept the inning alive by drawing a walk. After freshman SS Riley Henricks singled and senior OF Cory Wiltshire walked to load the bases, junior OF Bryant Kraus picked up an RBI with a walk.

Powell then made it a two-run game with a two-run double

In the seventh, UP pinch hitter Kevin Armijo drew another bases-loaded walk that pulled the Pilots within 9-8. Powell then tied the game with his third home run this season in the top of the eighth inning.

The Dons took an early 8-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the second inning and five more in the third. All three runs in the second were unearned and came with two outs. With a run in and the bases loaded in the third, Derek Poppert hit a bases-clearing double. Portland starter Mark Triolo then surrendered two more singles and another run before freshman reliever Owen Jones took over on the mound. Jones induced two straight pop-outs to end the inning.

After Portland got on the board with a run in the top of the fourth, the Dons plated another in the bottom half of the inning to reclaim an eight-run lead.

Triolo was charged with eight runs, five earned, in 2.1 innings of work. David Gruener, who replaced Jones after an inning and two thirds, allowed four hits and struck out a pair in 3.0 scoreless innings. Lange allowed just one hit with no walks and three strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work.

USF out-hit UP on the day 17-10

Portland and San Francisco are scheduled to play the second game of the three-game series on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.