SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. --- For the second straight day the Pilots got the potential tying run on base in the top of the ninth inning, and for the second straight day the San Francisco Dons held on for the win, this time topping Portland 1-0 on Saturday at Benedetti Field. The Pilots will next look to salvage a win in the three-game West Coast Conference series on Sunday.
 
Trailing by a run in the ninth, Portland's (7-30, 2-12 WCC) Turner Gill led off with a single. Next up was clean-up hitter Kevin Wade, who sent a well-struck line drive to center field. But USF's (17-18, 10-4 WCC) Derek Atkinson was there to make the catch for the first out of the inning. San Francisco pitcher Christian Cecilio then got Cody Lenahan to fly out to left field before striking out pinch hitter Kevin Farley to preserve the shutout and the win.
 
Cecilio (4-1) went the distance, fanning 11 Pilots along the way. He walked one and surrendered just six hits.
 
Portland's Kurt Yinger (1-6) also picked up a complete game, but he gets saddled with the loss despite allowing just the one run. He struck out five, didn't issue a walk and scattered seven hits.
 
The game's only run came in the bottom of the sixth inning when Connor Hoffman homered with nobody on base. Brendan Hendricks followed Hoffman's solo home run with a one-out single, but he was erased on a strike-him-out-throw-him out double play, courtesy a perfect throw to second base by Portland catcher Brady Kerr.
 
Gill had three of Portland's hits, while Kerr had two. The Pilots' best chance to score perhaps came in the top of the eighth. Kerr led off with a single and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Brian Pozos. Michael Lucarelli then gave the Pilots runners on first and second with a one-out walk, but Cecilio struck out the next batter before inducing a ground-out to end the inning.
 
First pitch for Sunday's finale is set for 1 p.m. and junior Jackson Lockwood is scheduled to get the start on the hill for the Pilots.