EDINBURG, Texas --- The Portland Pilots limited UT Rio Grande Valley to just two runs on five hits, but in the end it was enough as the Vaqueros prevailed 2-1 on the second day of the Al Ogletree Classic at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Pilots, who topped both North Dakota State and UTRGV on Friday, will end their stay in Texas tomorrow morning when they play the Bison.
 
Both UTRGV (4-3) runs came in the bottom of the second inning after the Pilots (5-2) had recorded two outs to begin the frame. Anthony Gomez and Taylor Torres extended the inning with singles, and Oliver Closner brought both runners home with a double to center field.
 
The Pilots got one of the runs back in the top of the third inning, which also came with two outs. With the bases empty, Matt Kelly lifted a double into the left field corner. Chad Stevens then came to the plate, and he sent an RBI through the left side of the infield that scored Kelly and made it a one-run game.
 
But that's all the runs Portland could put together, despite out-hitting their hosts 8-5. The Pilots left runners on base during seven of the nine innings, and nine base runners total were stranded. The Vaqueros escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning.
 
In the top of the eighth, Portland's Daniel Lopez doubled for his second hit of the game, and his pinch runner Jace McKinney advanced to third on a wild pitch. But that's where he'd stay as the Vaqueros ended the inning with a pop out.
 
The Pilots also got the potential tying run on base in the top of the ninth inning after Brett Gillis reached with a one-out single, but again the UTRGV pitchers came through with a pair of game-ending strikeouts.
 
Portland starter Kevin Baker (0-1) worked 5.0 innings, and he was responsible for the two runs in the second. He K'd two and yielded just four hits. Reliever Morgan White allowed just one hit during the final 3.0 innings, and he also registered two strikeouts.
 
UTRGV used a trio of pitchers, with the win going to middle inning reliever Kevin Palm (1-0), who replaced starter Austin Alarid to begin the fourth. Palm tossed 4.2 scoreless innings, and Gabe Constantine went the final 1.1 innings to collect his first save of the year.
 
First pitch for the Pilots and NDSU is set for 9 a.m. on Sunday.