PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots had to rally twice from early deficits before holding on for a crucial, 8-6 win over the BYU Cougars on Saturday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field to claim the three-game West Coast Conference series. Eight different Pilots had a hit on Saturday, and every position starter reached base as the Pilots won a conference series over BYU for the first time ever.
 
It was the Cougars (18-15, 7-8 WCC) who scored first with two runs in the top of the second inning. The Pilots (13-20, 6-9 WCC) were unfazed, scoring one in the bottom half of the frame and three more in the third to surge ahead. Collin Runge produced the RBI in the second inning when he sent a single into the right-center gap, scoring Ryan Kim from second base. With two outs, Kim and Ryan Hoogerwerf had previously extended the inning with consecutive base hits.
 
In the third, the Pilots again pieced together three straight singles, this time scoring Matt Kelly with the tying run. A sacrifice fly by Daniel Lopez gave Portland its first lead of the afternoon, and Hoogerwerf added a sacrifice fly before the inning was over to make it a 4-2 game.
 
BYU answered with three runs of their own in the top of the fourth to re-claim a 5-4 edge, but the Pilots immediately responded with four in the bottom of the inning to take the lead for good. Kelly evened the score when he crossed the plate on a fielder's choice, and Cody Hawken hammered a ball up the middle that brought in Beau Brundage and handed Portland a 6-5 advantage.
 
The Pilots would score another run on a BYU error, and Runge collected his second RBI of the day to push the lead to 8-5.
 
Reliever Tate Budnick (2-1) then took over on the mound and yielded only one run on three hits in 4.0 solid innings of relief. The senior right-hander struck out two, didn't issue a walk, and registered his second win of the season.
 
BYU also got some solid pitching from relievers Kendall Motes and Rhett Parkinson, who held the Pilots scoreless during the final 4.2 innings. But the deficit was too great, and reliever Justin Sterner (0-1) is saddled with the loss.
 
The Cougars did threaten in the top of the ninth against Portland closer Connor Knutson when the lead-off batter reached on an error and Brennon Anderson singled to left. But the Pilot defense came through, recording a double play on an attempted bunt, and Knutson secured his fourth save of the year when he induced a game-ending ground out.
 
Portland combined for 10 hits, with Kelly and Hawken each tallying two hits.
 
The Pilots next step out of conference for two games next week at UNLV in Las Vegas, Nev. First pitch on Tuesday is set for 6:05 p.m., while Wednesday's contest is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.