PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland's Henry Cheney and Matt Kelly both homered in the bottom of the first inning, but the Washington Huskies responded with seven unanswered runs to prevail 8-3 over the Pilots in a non-conference baseball game on Tuesday night at Joe Etzel Field. Kelly finished with three hits for the game.
After conceding a run in the top of the first, the Pilots (21-20) answered in the home half of the frame when Cheney and Kelly both left the yard. With one out and the bases empty, Cheney hit a no-doubter to left field that evened the score 1-1. It's his second home run this spring.
A few batters later with a runner on first, Kelly also homered to left, and just like that the Pilots were on top 3-1. The blast is Kelly's seventh homer of the season.
From there the Huskies (18-17) silenced the Portland bats and scored three runs in the top of the second, two more in the third, one run in the top of the fourth, and another in the fifth to take control of the game.
It was Connor Blair who provided the RBI in the top of the first with a single to give the Huskies the early advantage. Mason Cerrillo produced an RBI single in the second, and the go-ahead run came home on a wild pitch.
Joe Wainhouse hit an RBI double in the top of the third inning, Rollie Nichols brought home a run with an infield single in the fourth, and Blair capped the scoring with his second RBI of the night in the fifth.
Washington's Leo Nierenberg (2-1) picks up the win after pitching just one inning of relief. Reliever Jack Enger struck out seven in 3.2 scoreless innings, and Chris Micheles K'd five in 3.1 innings, while only yielding one hit.
Portland starter Kevin Baker (0-5) is saddled with the loss, and he was the first of five pitchers used by the Pilots. Relievers Christian Peters and Peter Allegro combined to hold the Huskies scoreless during the final 3.0 innings.
The Pilots next host Santa Clara for a three-game West Coast Conference series this weekend at Joe Field. First pitch for Friday's opener is set for 6 p.m.
