ST. GEORGE, Utah -- The Utah Tech Trailblazers scored 11 unanswered runs to avoid the series sweep against the Portland Pilots 11-1 in eighth innings. The Pilots still clinched the series.

Right-hander Peter Allegro (0-1) got the  start for Portland (3-1) and took the loss. KJ Ruffo was a bright spot for the Pilots on mount, coming out of the bullpen and throwing three shutout innings, allowing one hit, with no walks and two strikeouts.

Briley Knight had three hits and a double to lead the Pilots. Jake Holcroft furnished a noteworthy effort as well, going 1-for-4 with a double. Nich Klemp also helped out for Portland, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate.

How it Happened

The Pilots got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with one run in the top of the first inning. Portland got an RBI single from junior Jake Tsukada, scoring Klemp from third base.

The Pilots were unable to hold the lead, as Utah Tech scored 11 times over the remaining seven innings to grab the 11-1 win. The Trailblazers did most of their damage in the early innings, scoring five runs in the first third of the game to take a 5-1 lead. They followed that up with four more runs in the fourth to take a 9-1 advantage.

In the bottom of the eighth with two on, Hank Dodson brought both runners home to enact the mercy rule and give Utah Tech the early win.

Game Notes
» Knight led the Pilots offensively, going 3-for-4 with a double.
» Klemp finished the series with a .765 batting average, two home runs, five RBI's and an OPS of 1.928. 
» Portland pitchers faced 35 Utah Tech hitters in the game, allowing 10 ground balls and three fly balls while striking out seven.
» Utah Tech was led offensively by senior Tyson Fisher, who went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI.
» Freshman Dakoda West led the Trailblazers pitching staff, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings.
» Despite the loss, the Pilots still clinched their third season-opening series in the last four seasons.

Up Next

The Pilots take on a prestigious opponent in the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station. Portland will travel there next weekend for a three-game series starting on Friday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.

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