SPOKANE, Wash. --- After seven-plus innings of scoreless baseball, Gonzaga's Branson Trube hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth and the Bulldogs held off the Pilots in the ninth to claim a 3-0 win over Portland on Saturday night at Washington Trust Field. It's the second win for the Bulldogs over the Pilots, who will look to salvage a win during Sunday's series finale.
 
The game featured a lengthy weather delay in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Portland starter Corbin Powers was unfazed as he struck out the side in the seventh, as the game remained scoreless. Portland's Matt Kelly then led off the top of the eighth with a single as the Pilots eventually got two runners on board. But with two outs, Gonzaga reliever Calvin LeBrun registered an inning-ending strike out.
 
Then in the home half of the eighth, Trube left the yard with a homer to left field, which came with a runner on first base. It's Trube's fifth home run of the year, and it provided the Bulldogs (15-14, 6-5 West Coast Conference) with all the offense they'd need.
 
The home team did add an unearned run courtesy a Portland (10-18, 4-7 WCC) error later in the eighth.
 
Powers (3-4) matches a career-high nine strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work. His only blemish was Trube's homer as the senior lefty allowed just six hits. Reliever Connor Knutson recorded the final two outs in the eighth.
 
Gonzaga's freshman starter Alex Jacob was nearly un-hittable for 7.2 innings, yielding just three hits. He K'd eight and walked two before giving way to LeBrun (4-3) in the top of the eighth inning. Closer Casey Legumina collected the final two outs of the game to notch his second save in two nights and his eighth on the year.
 
First pitch on Sunday is set for 12 p.m.