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PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, but the Brigham Young Cougars would hold on for a 6-3 win in West Coast Conference baseball action on Friday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field. The game is the second of a three-game series, and the Pilots and Cougars will conclude the regular season tomorrow at 11 a.m.
 
After not getting much going offensively for much of the game, the Portland (11-40, 5-21 WCC) bats came to life in the bottom of the eighth inning with the score 6-0 in BYU's (21-31, 11-15 WCC) favor. With two outs and Ryan Littlefield on first base, Portland senior Chet Thompson sparked the rally with a single through the left side of the infield, his second base hit of the game.
 
Now with runners on first and second, Caleb Whalen drilled a double into left field that easily scored Littlefield and allowed Thompson to come all the way around to score from first base. Turner Gill then followed Whalen's double with a run-scoring double of his own, and just like that the Pilots had cut the deficit in half.
 
But BYU starter Kolton Mahoney would settle down from there to strike out clean-up hitter Kevin Wade to end the inning. The Pilots then got a runner on base in the bottom of the ninth courtesy a one-out walk, but closer Brandon Kinser retired the final two batters to end the game and notch his sixth save of the year.
 
Mahoney (6-6) was masterful for most of his 8.0 innings. The right-hander went seven innings without allowing a hit after surrendering a lead-off single to Thompson to begin the bottom of the first inning. He did walk a pair and the Pilots recorded five hits off the starter.
 
Reliever Chris Howard registered a K and issued the walk in the ninth before giving way to Kinser.
 
Portland starter Jackson Lockwood (3-3) did well to keep the Cougars within reach during his 6.2 innings on the mound. The sophomore righty scattered 10 hits and struck out two, while allowing four runs. Austin Kelley, Carl Snaring and J.R. Bunda followed Lockwood on the mound, and the two runs let in by Snaring in the top of the eighth were both unearned.
 
BYU scored the game's first two runs in the top of the first inning. Dillon Robinson knocked a run in with a sac fly to center, and Bret Lopez made it a 2-0 game with an RBI single. The Cougars added two more runs in the top of the sixth when Lopez scored on a wild pitch and Hayden Nielsen slapped an RBI double to left-center field.
 
Thompson is having a nice series thus far going 5-for-8 at the plate with a run scored. He will be one of five seniors the Pilots will honor with a ceremony before tomorrow's game. Bunda, Bo Cornish, Colin Feldtman and scheduled starting pitcher Chad Kjemhus will also be making their final appearance at Joe Etzel Field.