PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Pilots rallied to score four in the ninth inning and walked it off on Oregon's error with Ben Patacsil at the plate to pick up the 10-9 win over the No. 23 Oregon Ducks Tuesday. The win splits the season series between the two sides.

Zach Johnson (1-1) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Portland (20-16). The right-hander went one inning, giving up one run on one hit, allowing no walks and striking out one. Ty Saunders also made an impact on the mound for the Pilots, throwing four innings, giving up one run on one hit, with one walk and three strikeouts.

In the batter's box, the Pilots were paced by Briley Knight, who went 3-for-4 on the day with a double, a walk and an RBI. Freshman Justin Tsukada had a critical pinch hit in the final inning as well, with a double that brought in two runs to tie the game. Jake Holcroft also chipped in for Portland, putting together one hit in four trips to the plate while adding a walk and two RBI.

How it Happened

Trailing 5-0 after a tough first two innings, the Pilots first put runs on the board in the second inning. Portland got an RBI single from Riley McCarthy, scoring Knight from third base and extending his hitting streak to five.

The Ducks expanded their lead to 6-1 before the Pilots offense got back to work, cutting into that lead in the sixth. The Portland offense exploded for four runs, highlighted by a two-run single off the bat of Holcroft, which tightened the Ducks lead to 6-5.

Portland held the Ducks off the board before rallying to even it up at six in the seventh. The Pilots pushed across a run on Knight's RBI double.

Oregon then broke the tied and took a 9-6 lead, leaving things looking bleak for Portland. But the Pilots stayed discipline. They loaded the bases off a single from Nich Klemp and two walks. A fielder's choice with one out brought Christian Cooney home to make it just 9-7 Oregon.

The Pilots needed two runs to tie, and they got them from pinch hitter Justin Tsukada. Tsukada blasted a ball into right field that brought home two and made it 9-9. Patacsil then hit a short popup to second base, but Gavin Grant couldn't corral it for Oregon. Tsukada scored, giving Portland the walk-off win.

Game Notes
» Knight had three hits in the game for Portland. It's the third time he's posted three hits in a game this year.
» Every Portland starter reached base safely in the win.
» The Pilots out-hit the Ducks at an 11-9 clip.
» Portland pitchers limited Oregon to just 2-for-11 (.182) with runners in scoring position.
» Portland pitchers faced 45 Oregon hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and 11 fly balls while striking out nine.
» The Pilots drew four walks from Oregon pitching.
» This is the Pilots first win over the Ducks since the 2021 season. The win snaps a four-game losing streak to Oregon.
» This is the first non-conference win for Portland since March 12.
» The Pilots scored 10 runs for the eighth time this season.
» Zach Johnson gets his first win of the season.
» This is Portland's third win over a ranked opponent this year.

Up Next

The Pilots stay home for a crucial conference series against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The series begins on Friday, April 21, with first pitch on Portland's CW set for 6 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video as well.

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