MORAGA, Calif. --- Portland's Tuner Gill fueled a four-run fifth inning with a two-run single and the Pilots got solid performances on the mound to claim a 4-3 win over the Saint Mary's Gaels in a West Coast Conference baseball game played on Friday afternoon at Louis Guisto Field. Billy Sahlinger gets the win on the hill for the Pilots, while Davis Tominaga registers his second save of the year.
 
The Gaels (13-8, 2-2 WCC) tallied the game's first run with a Zach Kirtley RBI single off of Portland (5-19, 1-3 WCC) starter Jackson Lockwood in the bottom of the first inning. Lockwood would settle down from there and cruise through the next three innings, holding the Gaels scoreless.
 
Sahlinger would then take over for Lockwood to begin the bottom of the fourth after Lockwood tweaked an injury while warming up. The Pilots then gave Sahlinger all the offense he would need by scoring four runs in the top of the fifth. With one out and two runners on, Eric Sapp tied the game with an RBI double.
 
Michael Lucarelli then gave the Pilots the lead with an RBI single, and Gill followed with a two-run base hit that handed Portland a three-run cushion.
 
The Gaels answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame, but that's all the offense Saint Mary's could muster as Sahlinger, reliever Brandon Snyder and Tominaga held them scoreless the rest of the way.
 
Sahlinger improves to 2-1 in on the year after working 3.1 innings. Snyder tossed 1.1 innings before giving way to Tominaga with two on and one out in the bottom of the eighth. Tominaga escaped the jam by inducing an inning-ending double play as the Gaels attempted to squeeze in the tying run.
 
The Pilots hand SMC starter Corbin Burnes (4-1) his first loss of the year by scoring four runs on nine hits in 6.2 innings. Two Saint Mary's relievers held Portland scoreless during the final 2.1 innings.
 
Game two of the three-game series is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.