Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland senior Bryant Kraus had three hits and blasted a home run through the wind as the Pilots defeated the Concordia Cavaliers 7-3 in a non-conference baseball game on a sunny but blustery afternoon at Joe Etzel Field. The Pilots (22-20) used nine pitchers on the day, with sophomore Ben Pressler picking up his first collegiate win.
Pressler (1-0), who gave up an unearned run in the top of the first inning, allowed just one hit and a walk, while striking out two in 2.0 innings of work.
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, the Pilots got an RBI double to center field by sophomore 2B Riley Henricks. Sophomore OF Craig Smith scored on the two-bagger to tie the game at 1-1. A few batters later, senior 1B Cort Carpenter gave UP a lead it wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the way with an RBI ground-out.
Portland made it a 4-1 game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, Kraus, an outfielder, drilled a solo home run to straight away center field. It’s his team-high ninth on the year. Carpenter then kept the inning alive with a two-out single before advancing to second base on a wild pitch. Senior DH Chase Powell rewarded Carpenter for the effort by bringing him home with an RBI single to right field.
The game remained 4-1 until Portland added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and Powell on third base, sophomore 3B Matt Mardesich picked up an RBI with a single up the middle. Moments later, Smith laid down a perfectly place bunt, allowing Mardesich to score. Freshman SS Kris Kauppila then scored on a wild pitch to give the Pilots a 7-1 lead.
Concordia (19-31) added a run in the top of the seventh inning and in the top of the ninth.
CU starter Ben Rue (4-7) is saddled with the loss after allowing four Portland runs in 3.0 innings. He was touched for six hits. Three relievers followed Rue on the hill, with Myles Stratton getting charged with Portland’s other three runs.
The Pilots have the weekend off, but will return to the diamond to host Oregon State for a non-conference tilt on Tuesday. First pitch between UP and OSU is set for 3:00 p.m. at Joe Etzel Field.
Portland, which is 5-10 in the West Coast Conference, then welcomes the Pepperdine Waves to town for a three-game conference series. The series opener is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 10 at Joe Etzel Field.
