PORTLAND, Ore. --- Freshman catcher Dutton Elske belted a two-run homer and Portland was solid on the mound as the Pilots held off the Oregon Ducks to win 3-2 in a non-conference baseball game played on Tuesday night at Joe Etzel Field.
The long fly is the second on the season for Elske, and it came in the bottom of the second inning (10-34-1) to give the Pilots an early lead. It also came with two outs.
The two runs were enough for starter Corbin Powers (1-5), who cruised through 5.0 innings of work. The junior lefty held the Ducks (26-18) scoreless, while scattering five hits. He also struck out five and didn't issue a walk.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Pilots expanded their lead to 3-0 when Matt Kelly hammered a double to deep right field. The extra base hit scored Ryan Kim, and that insurance run proved to be huge as the Ducks cut the deficit to one run when they plated a pair in the eighth.
In that eighth inning, the first run scored on a ground out, while the second came home on a Tim Susnara single to left field with two outs. Portland closer Marty Luckenbach would avoid further damage when he induced an inning-ending fly out off the bat of A.J. Balta.
A lead-off walk in the top of the ninth put the potential tying run on base for the Ducks, but Luckenbach came through, retiring the next three batters in order to notch his sixth save of the year.
Jordan Horak and Tate Budnick also pitched for the Pilots, with Horak tossing a scoreless sixth inning. Luckenbach worked the final 3.0 innings.
It was pitcher by committee for Oregon, as the visitors from Eugene went through eight hurlers on the night. The loss went to starter Isaiah Carranza (2-0), who allowed Dutton's homer in the second.
The Pilots next hit the road tomorrow to travel to Provo, Utah, for a three-game West Coast Conference series with the Brigham Young Cougars. First pitch at Larry Miller Field is set for 5 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday, while Saturday's finale is scheduled for 12 p.m.
