PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland's Cody Hawken and Caleb Whalen both hit home runs, but the Saint Gaels prevailed in game one of a double header 7-2 over the Pilots in West Coast Conference baseball action on Friday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field. The Gaels, who got a pair of complete-game performances on the mound, then took the second game 7-1.
 
The Gaels (29-22, 17-9 WCC) jumped out to an early lead in the first game with two runs in the top of first inning and two more in the second. Nate Nolan drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly after a balk moved the two Gael runners up 90 feet. Anthony Gonsolin knocked in the second run with a base hit through the right side of the infield.
 
The second inning began with back-to-back strike outs by Portland starter Jordan Horak. But after a two-out single and a walk, Saint Mary's had a runner in scoring position. Anthony Villa then capitalized with an RBI single to center field. Villa then tried to steal second, drawing a throw from Portland catcher Cooper Hummel. Villa was eventually tagged out for the third out in the inning, but not before Zach Kirtley scored from third base to make it a 4-0 game.
 
The Pilots (17-36, 3-23 WCC) got one back in the bottom of the second inning when Hawken drove a ball deep to left field, easily clearing the fence for his fourth home run of the season. The blast game with one out, and pulled the Pilots within 4-1.
 
Both pitchers settled into a groove from there as SMC starter Corbin Burnes retired 11 straight during one stretch. Horak tossed two straight scoreless innings before the Gaels added an unearned run to claim a 5-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning.
 
In the top of the seventh, Gonsolin hit a two-run homer to push the lead to 7-1. But Whalen answered in the home half of the frame with a solo shot. The long fly gives Whalen five on the year, which matches Hummel for the team-high.
 
Horak (1-8) lasted 5.0 innings, yielding five runs, four earned, on nine hits. He struck out five. Reliever Cole Doherty tossed the final 4.0 innings, allowing just two hits. The lefty fanned three and didn't issue a walk.
 
Burnes (9-1) went the distance on the hill to notch the complete-game win. He yielded only four hits, while fanning 11.
 
The second game began as a pitchers' duel as both SMC's Johnny York and Portland's Davis Tominaga were cruising early. The Gaels were able to break through first with a run in the top of the third inning. Villa led off with a double, moved to third on a sac bunt and scored on a sacrifice fly from Gonsolin.
 
The Pilots matched the Gaels in the home half of the inning after Whalen led off with a double. He then headed to third base on a sacrifice bunt before scoring the tying run on a sac fly off the bat of Ryan Barr.
 
The game remained 1-1 until the sixth inning when the Gaels surged ahead with a pair of runs. Nolan was responsible for the go-ahead run when he hit a solo home run to left field. A few batters later, Ian McLoughlin gave Saint Mary's a 3-1 lead with an RBI single.
 
The Gaels then scored four runs in the top of the eighth to chase Tominaga and take control of the scoreboard. Charles Zaloumis hit a two-run double during the inning, and Brett Rasso and Conor Thane both added RBI's to make the score 7-1.
 
Jake Hawken did well in relief, striking out two in 1.2 innings. Tominaga (4-10) lasted 7.1 innings.
 
York allowed in just the one run in the fourth inning, while limiting the Pilots to four hits. His 9.0 inning outing allows him to improve to 6-5.
 
The two teams now tale Saturday off before meeting at 1 p.m. on Sunday for the series finale. Sunday is senior day on The Bluff, and the Pilots will honor their 12 seniors with a pre-game ceremony.