Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland freshman Caleb Whalen had three hits and four RBI’s, senior Ben Grubb added three hits and the Pilots totaled 16 hits as a team en route to an 11-4 win over the Concordia Cavaliers at Hilken Community Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. The Pilots were the home team at CU’s home field after the game was moved from UP’s Joe Etzel Field due to wet conditions.
Portland improves to 3-0 on the young season, while the Cavaliers drop to 3-4.
The Pilots, who are coming off a two-game sweep of Stephen F. Austin last weekend, are batting .342 as a team this season and are averaging 13.3 hits and 10.7 runs per game. Meanwhile, Portland’s pitchers are holding the opposition to a .183 batting average, 3.0 runs per game and 5.7 hits per contest.
As was the case last weekend, the Pilots again struck early against Concordia as they scored runs during each of the first three innings. Brian Frattali singled in a run in the bottom of the first inning, and Chet Thompson roped an RBI double down the left field line to make a 2-1 Portland lead in the bottom of the second.
The Cavaliers briefly took a 3-2 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third, but the Pilots responded by scoring two more in the bottom of the frame. Ben Grubb, who had just doubled, scored on a base hit by Frattali, and Whalen gave the Pilots a lead they wouldn’t relinquish with an RBI triple to deep left-center field.
The Pilots added two runs during each the fifth and sixth innings before capping the scoring with three more runs in the bottom of the seventh.
UP used eight pitchers on the day, with the win going to junior right-hander Matt McCallister (1-0). Seven of Portland’s eight pitchers threw just one inning, with starter and freshman left-hander Travis Radke working the first two.
Portland sophomore Chad Kjemhus, senior Keeler Brynteson and junior Jeremy Burright each held the Cavaliers hitless and scoreless during their inning of work, while each struck out two of the three batters they faced.
Jason Snodgrass (1-1) suffers his first loss of the season and was one of five pitchers used by Concordia.
Whalen had a run-scoring double in the fifth inning and a two-run double in the seventh. The Vancouver, Wash., native now leads the Pilots with seven RBI’s this season. Fellow freshman Michael Lucarelli had the big hit in the seventh inning when he brought in two runs with a double down the left field line.
The Pilots next welcome the Creighton Bluejays to town for a three-game series this weekend at Joe Etzel Field. Friday’s series opener is set for 2 p.m., while first pitch is slated for 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
Please check back with PortlandPilots.com for any weather-related updates.
