Box Score

SANTA CLARA, Calif. --- Junior second baseman Riley Henricks belted a two-run home run in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and lead the Portland Pilots to a 4-2 victory over the Santa Clara Broncos in the West Coast Conference opener for both schools on Thursday night at Stephen Schott Stadium. It marked the sixth consecutive win for the Pilots, who are off to a 16-6 start to the 2010 season.

Henricks finished 2-for-4 with a triple, homer, two runs scored and two RBI’s to pace the Pilots on offense, while junior right handers Zach Varce and Chris Dennis held the Broncos (12-12, 0-1 WCC) in check on the mound.

Santa Clara came into the contest with five wins in their last six games and batting a league-high .344 as a team, but could not string much together against the Pilot pitchers. After surrendering a leadoff homer to Lucas Herbst, Varce would hold the Broncos to just two runs on 11 hits in 7.0 innings of work, while striking out seven to improve to 4-1 on the season. Dennis faced just seven batters in recording the final six outs to earn his WCC-leading seventh save of the season.

After going down 1-0 early, Portland tied it in the second as Henricks tripled and would then score on a passed ball. The Pilots went up 2-1 in the third courtesy of a pair of errors by the Broncos, but SCU tied it in the bottom of the frame on an RBI double by Pat Stover.

Junior Tyler Thompson led off the sixth inning with a single through the hole on the left side to set up Henricks’ game-winner. Henricks drilled his third round-tripper of the year over the left field wall on a 2-0 pitch, giving the Pilot pitchers all of the cushion necessary.

Nate Garcia (2-5) was saddled with the loss for the Broncos. Garcia allowed four runs (three earned) in 8.1 innings of work.

Portland had 10 hits, committed one error and left eight runners on base for the game. Santa Clara had 11 hits, three errors and stranded 10 runners.

Senior C.J. Cullen and sophomore Garrett Queen also had two-hit games for the Pilots.

The teams will play again on Friday at 6 p.m. and conclude the series on Saturday at noon. The Pilots will send sophomore right hander Kyle Kraus (4-0, 4.36 ERA) to the mound on Friday versus Santa Clara’s Alex Rivers (2-3, 4.79 ERA).