SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Daniel Lopez belted a bases clearing double and pinch-hitter Ryan Hoogerwerf smacked a pair of doubles in a nine-run eighth inning to lead the Pilots to a remarkable 11-9 comeback victory over Santa Clara Thursday night at Stephen Schott Stadium.
The Pilots (9-15, 3-4 WCC) trailed 9-2 entering the eighth inning marking the largest comeback win in modern Portland baseball history. The Pilots collected seven hits in the frame, three walks and benefited from a pair of wild pitches as 13 players stepped to the plate. Seven of the runs scored in the inning came with two outs.
"This was a great team win," Portland head coach Geoff Loomis said. "The guys stayed with it until the end and we figured out a way to get it done."
The nine runs are tied for the most by a Pilot team in a single inning since Portland tallied 11 runs in the seventh inning of a 19-0 win versus UC Davis on March 24, 2006 at Joe Etzel Field*. Nine runs also marked Portland's previous high for an entire game this season (Feb. 24 vs. Saint Joseph's).
Sophomore center fielder Beau Brundage started the rally with a leadoff single. Hoogerwerf then drilled a pinch-hit double to left field to move him to third with one out. Matt Kelly beat out an infield single to score the first run and then Chad Stevens blasted an RBI-double to the alley in left center field to make it a 9-4 deficit.
Santa Clara got a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but consecutive wild pitches scored Kelly and Stevens to make it 9-6. Collin Runge and Ryan Kim both walked, followed by an RBI-single from Cody Hawken. Brundage walked to load the bases and then Lopez delivered with a line drive down the third base line on a 1-2 pitch to give Portland the 10-9 lead. Hoogerwerf had himself an inning by tacking on the final run with another double to left field scoring Lopez.
The Pilot bullpen closed the door as Cameron Richman struck out two in a scoreless eighth and Connor Knutson earned his second save with a perfect ninth inning.
Five Portland players had multi-hit games led by Brundage finishing 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. Stevens also had three hits, while Lopez was 2-for-4 with four runs batted in.
Portland freshman starter Eli Morse went five innings and gave up five hits, two walks and struck out four. He allowed six runs, but only one of those was earned. Joey Morris (1-0) was credited with the win out of the bullpen.
Senior right-hander Steven Wilson also went five innings for the Broncos (14-9, 3-4) and scattered five hits, a walk and struck out six. He allowed just two runs (one earned). Eric Lex (2-2) was tagged with the loss in relief for Santa Clara.
Portland actually grabbed the early 2-0 lead when Brundage tripled home Kim and then scored on a Lopez single in the third. Santa Clara quickly answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning as sophomore catcher Jake MacNichols made the Pilots pay for an error with a three-run homer. MacNichols added an RBI-double in a three-run sixth inning and the Broncos pushed two more across in the seventh to grab the 9-2 lead.
Portland finished with 14 hits, three errors and left 10 runners on base in the game. Santa Clara had six hits, two errors and stranded five runners.
The series continues tomorrow with a 6 p.m. first pitch and concludes on Saturday at 1 p.m. Both games will have live coverage on TheW.tv. Senior left-hander Corbin Powers will take the mound tomorrow for the Pilots against Santa Clara sophomore righty Alex Waldsmith.
*Portland also scored nine runs in the second inning of an 11-3 win versus Seattle on March 25, 2011 and the first inning of a 20-7 victory against Washington State on May 14, 2007. Both games were played at Joe Etzel Field.
