PORTLAND, Ore. --- With the score tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, Portland senior Tate Budnick hammered a two-run, walk-off home run to left field to give the Pilots a thrilling 4-2 win over the Saint Mary's Gael in the West Coast Conference series finale played on Sunday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field. The win gives the Pilots the series win, their first over Saint Mary's since 2012.
 
With one out and the score tied 2-2 in the final frame, Jace McKinney reached first base on an error by the SMC pitcher Conner Loeprich, who entered the game to begin the inning. Budnick then stepped to the plate, and on a 3-1 count he lofted the game-winner over the left field fence to hand the Pilots their second win over the Gaels in three days.
 
It's the first home run of the season for Budnick, a catcher who also pitches for the Pilots (8-12, 2-1 WCC).
 
Budnick's ninth-inning heroics were possible due to solid pitching from Portland starter Camden Muller and reliever Connor Knutson. Muller yielded just two runs on three hits in 7.0 quality innings, while Knutson provided three huge strike outs in 2.0 innings out of the pen.
 
In the top of the eighth, the Gaels' Brett Rasso walked with one out before swiping second base. Kevin Milam, SMC's best hitter, then came up to bat, but Knutson sat him down with a strike out. And then after an intentional walk put two Gaels on board, Knutson came through again by fanning Edward Haus to end the inning.
 
Saint Mary's also got a pair of runners on base in the top of the ninth, but Knutson preserved the 2-2 tie with a fly out to center field.
 
Knutson (1-1) earns his second win of the year, while the loss goes to Loeprich (0-1). Saint Mary's (10-7, 1-2 WCC) starter and reigning WCC Pitcher of the Week Ken Waldichuk tossed 8.0 innings, allowing two runs on five hits.
 
Portland's first run off of Waldichuk came in the bottom of the second inning, which was courtesy a perfectly placed bunt single off the bat of Matt Kelly. McKinney scored on the bunt that tied the score 1-1.
 
The Gaels re-claimed a one-run lead when Jackson Thoreson left the yard with a solo homer to right field in the sixth inning, and that seemed to be all Waldichuk would need as he was cruising on the hill. The lefty at one time retired 14 straight Pilots, but he ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh when the Pilots got runners on first and second with two outs.
 
That's when Kelly provided another key RBI for the Pilots when he sent a single into the right-center gap. McKinney also scored on this Kelly single, which pulled the Pilots even with the Gaels to set up the dramatic final innings.
 
Next up for the Pilots is a visit from the San Francisco Dons for a three-game WCC series at Joe Etzel Field. The series with the Dons opens on Friday night at 6 p.m.