TUCSON, Ariz. --- After the Portland Pilots had led for most of the afternoon, the Arizona Wildcats scored seven late runs en route to an 8-4 win in a non-conference baseball game played at Hi Corbett Field on Saturday. Portland's Turner Gill had a two-run homer during the loss.
Gill's blast came in the top of the first inning and gave the Pilots (4-14) and early 2-0 cushion. Caleb Whalen, who had led off the game with a single, also scored on Gill's third home run of the year.
The Wildcats (14-4) got one run back in the bottom of the first off of Portland starter Kurt Yinger, who would recover to hold the Arizona offense in-check for much of the game. Yinger didn't allow an Arizona run for the next five innings.
Meanwhile Whalen gave the Pilots a 4-1 lead when he drove in a pair with a single in the top of the fourth inning. His single to center brought home both Grant Taylor and Brady Kerr.
It was still 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Arizona's Bobby Dalbec cut the deficit in half when he left the yard with a solo homer. The Wildcats then scored two in the seventh to tie the score and four more in the eighth to take control of the scoreboard.
The seventh began with a pitching change after Yinger walked the lead-off batter. The Arizona bats then greeted new Portland pitcher Brandon Snyder with a sacrifice bunt and consecutive singles to score the inning's first run. Riley Moore followed with a sacrifice fly and just like that the game was tied 4-4.
In the eighth, two of Arizona's runs scored on bunts, another came home on a Portland error and the fourth scored on a sacrifice fly.
Jordan Wilcox (1-1), who replaced Snyder at the end of the seventh, takes the loss for Portland. He was responsible for the first two runners who scored in the eighth. Davis Tominaga relieved Wilcox and recorded the final two outs of the inning.
Yinger surrendered six hits in 6.0 innings, while fanning two. He was charged with three runs.
Dalbec (2-1) came into pitch the final 1.2 innings and he gets the win for the Wildcats. He was perfect on the hill and struck out two. Starter Robby Medel was responsible for all four Portland runs, which came on nine hits in 6.0 innings. Nathan Bannister also pitched for Arizona.
The Wildcats held a slight 11-10 advantage in hits, and Whalen, Kerr and Eric Sapp each had two hits for the Pilots.
The two teams next wrap up the three-game series tomorrow at 12 p.m.
