PULLMAN, Wash. --- Portland got a strong outing from starting pitcher Ed Wakefield and freshman outfielder Garrett Queen blasted a home run and knocked in two runs as the Pilots topped the Washington State Cougars 6-3 on Wednesday afternoon at Bailey-Brayton Field. The win allows Portland to salvage a split in the brief two-game, non-conference series with the Cougars.
Portland improves to 24-24 on the season as head coach Chris Sperry matches the most wins in single season during his 12-year tenure. Portland also won 24 games in 2000 and 2002, going 24-27 and 24-30, respectively.
Washington State, which had won four straight games, drops to 26-21.
Much like the Cougars did yesterday, the Pilots jumped out to an early lead this afternoon to give Wakefield a little breathing room. Portland scored three runs in the top of the first inning and two more in the second to claim a 5-0 lead.
Senior 1B Cort Carpenter came up with the game’s first big hit in the top of the first inning. With runners on second and third and one out, Carpenter drilled a base hit to left field that scored both sophomore 3B Kevin Armijo and sophomore 2B Riley Henricks. Carpenter would then come around to score on a double by Queen.
In the second, junior OF Austin Pearce followed a lead-off double by freshman C Beau Fraser with a single, giving Portland runners on the corners. Freshman SS Kris Kauppila took advantage with an RBI single to center field off of reliever Anthony Drobnick, who had just replaced starter Spencer Jackson. Pearce then scored on a ground-out by Armijo before Drobnick was able to work his way out of the inning with the score 5-0.
After Wazzu scored two of its three runs off of Wakefield in the bottom of the second inning to make it a 5-2 game, the Cougars would go scoreless until plating another run in the bottom of the sixth.
Wakefield (3-1) allowed just four hits in five innings, while surrendering the three runs. The junior southpaw struck out three.
Portland’s bullpen combined for four scoreless innings, with sophomore RHP Zach Varce working the ninth for his ninth save of the season. Varce struck out two during the final frame.
Jackson (0-2) gets the loss for the Cougars after giving up the five runs during his brief inning of work. Five relievers followed Jackson on the hill.
Queen’s homer, his third of the season, came with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the seventh inning.
Kauppila finished with three hits on the day to help the Pilots finish with 12 as a team. Queen had a pair of hits as nine players each tallied a hit for UP. Washington State mustered just five hits for the game.
The Pilots, who are 6-12 in the West Coast Conference, next conclude the regular season with a three-game series against the San Francisco Dons (26-27, 10-8 WCC) at Joe Etzel Field. The series opener is set for 3:00 p.m. on Friday.
