Box Score
BELLEVUE, Wash. --- Turner Gill had four hits, Caleb Whalen and Zack McCoy each knocked in three runs and Kyle Kraus picked up career win number 27 as the Portland Pilots ended the season by defeating the Seattle Redhawks 11-1 in a non-conference baseball game on Sunday afternoon at Courter Field. The Pilots took two of three from the Redhawks to conclude the 2012 season with a 27-25 overall record.
Sunday was all Pilots from the beginning as UP scored the game’s first eight runs. In the top of the first inning, Whalen brought home Portland’s first run with an RBI single to left field. Whalen followed with a two-run single in the top of the second to fuel a three-run inning for the Pilots.
Portland then added another run in the fifth and three more in the top of the sixth inning to claim an 8-0 lead. Zack McCoy notched an RBI double in the fifth before driving in two runs with single an inning later.
The run support was more than enough for Kraus (7-6), a senior right-hander who ends his career as UP’s all-time leader in career wins. Kraus yielded just one earned run on six hits in 5.1 innings. He struck out three.
Senior reliever Keeler Brynteson entered the game in the sixth to make his 100th career appearance, which is also a program record. The left-hander struck out two in 2.0 innings of work, while J.R. Bunda retired the only two batters he faced, and Owen Jones worked a perfect ninth inning.
Jones, also a senior, didn’t earn the save on Sunday, but he already set a new UP season record with 16 saves this spring.
Seattle starter Bryan Dalton (1-4) lasted just 1.2 innings, surrendering four runs on four hits and four walks. He was followed on the hill by six SU relievers.
Seattle’s lone run came in the bottom of the sixth inning, while the Pilots added three more in the top of the seventh. Gill had an RBI double, senior Kris Kauppila slapped a run-scoring single to right field and McCoy brought home his third RBI on a ground-out.
Portland finished with 15 hits, while Brian Frattali scored four runs.
The Pilots already wrapped up play in the West Coast Conference, finishing with a 12-12 league record. Seattle ends the year with a 23-30 overall record.
