EUGENE, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots made it a clean sweep over the Oregon Ducks with a 12-8 non-conference win on Tuesday afternoon at PK Park. The win gives the Pilots a three-game season series sweep over the Ducks for what’s believed to be the first time in UP program history. Oregon made a much-heralded return to the baseball diamond this season after a 28-year hiatus.
The Pilots, who improve to 18-16, defeated the Ducks 4-0 in Portland on March 20 and 3-1 in Eugene on March 31. Oregon drops its sixth straight game to fall to 12-21.
Portland, which has been struggling lately at the plate, found itself trailing 7-3 with two outs in the top of the fifth inning. That’s when the Pilots erupted for five runs to claim a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. UP outscored Oregon 9-1 during the game’s final five innings.
Senior RHP Mark Triolo (4-5), who was the pitcher of record when Portland put up its five-spot in the top of the fifth, gets the win. Triolo worked just 1.1 innings, during which he allowed two runs on three hits and a walk.
Freshman LHP Keeler Brynteson took over from there, pitching five solid innings to pick up his first career save. Brynteson held the Ducks at bay and allowed just one earned run, while scattering five hits and walking one. He recorded three strikeouts.
Chris Garrison (0-2), who worked just one-third of an inning, picks up the loss for the Ducks. Garrison was charged with Portland’s go-ahead run in the fifth.
All of Portland’s fifth-inning runs came after the Pilots began the frame with a pair of ground-outs. First, senior Chase Powell hit a pinch-hit single through the right side of the infield that scored sophomore 2B Riley Henricks and made it a 7-4 deficit. Junior 3B Clayton Shaw then chased UO pitcher Madison Boer with an RBI single to make it a two-run game.
Then with two on and still two outs, sophomore OF Tyler Thompson greeted the reliever Garrison with a three-run home run to left-center field that gave Portland an 8-6 lead. Garrison would retire the next batter to end the inning.
The Pilots added three more runs in the top of the sixth inning to take control of the game. With runners on first and third, sophomore OF Craig Smith drilled a double down the left field line that scored both junior C Rocky Gale and freshman SS Kris Kauppila. Shaw then knocked in another run with single to make it 11-6.
Smith added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning with his fourth RBI of the day. Oregon scored its final run in the bottom of the eighth.
Oregon used eight pitchers during the game, while the Pilots countered with three. LHP Ed Wakefield got his second start of the season for the Pilots, with both starts coming at Oregon. Wakefield was touched for five runs on six hits in 2.2 innings before giving way to Triolo. Wakefield did strike out two while walking none.
After the Pilots took a 3-1 lead after two and a half innings, Oregon got its offense going with four runs in the bottom of the third. Paul Eshleman knocked in two of those runs with a home run to center field that gave the Ducks a 5-3 lead.
Oregon pushed the lead to 7-3 with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Smith finished with three hits for the Pilots, who totaled 12 on the day. Kauppila added a pair of hits and scored three times.
Oregon had 14 hits and committed the game’s only three errors.
The Pilots next return to the West Coast Conference with a home series this weekend against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The three-game set begins with a 3:00 p.m. game on Friday at Joe Etzel Field. UP and GU will then play at 1:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
