PROVO, Utah -- The Portland Pilots fought back from down 8-6 in the seventh inning to score six runs across the final two innings and beat the BYU Cougars 12-10 Friday. The win evened the series.
Brock Gillis (3-2) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Portland (23-18, 12-8). The right-hander went 5.2 innings, giving up five runs, all of them earned, on six hits, allowing four walks and striking out eight. Ryan Rembisz also made an impact on the mound for the Pilots, throwing 1.1 shutout innings while allowing two hits, with no walks and three strikeouts to earn the save.
Nich Klemp led the way offensively for the Pilots, going 4-for-5 in the ballgame with two doubles, a walk and three RBI's. Evan Scavotto put together a standout day at the dish as well, going 2-for-6 with a home run and two RBI's. Zach Toglia also chipped in, going 2-for-4 for Portland with two walks and two RBI's.
How it Happened
The Pilots got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with one run in the top of the first inning. Ben Patacsil came across to score the lone run of the inning for Portland and get them on the board.
The Cougars then rallied to score five runs and take a 5-1 lead in the second inning before the Pilots got back on the board in the third. Portland brought home a pair, with one run driven in by Christian Cooney's single and another off a single from Toglia. The RBI-singles brought the score to 5-3 in favor of the Cougars.
Portland kept the Cougars off the board before rallying to grab a 6-5 lead in the fourth. The Pilots added three runs in the frame, two of them coming across on a two-RBI double from Klemp. Toglia drove in Klemp with the single.
Portland surrendered the lead they built in the fourth after allowing three runs, but got back on the scoreboard in the eighth trailing 8-6. The Pilots scored five runs in the inning, with Klemp, Cooney, Jake Tsukada and Briley Knight putting together RBI hits and Patacsil driving in one more on a groundout. The big inning put the score at 11-8 Portland.
BYU got within 11-10 until the Pilots scored again in the ninth inning to stretch its lead to 12-10. Portland picked up a run on Scavotto's leadoff home run off of Carter Smith. The score remained 12-10 for the rest of the game, as the Pilots held on for the win.
Game Notes
» Klemp racked up four hits on the day for Portland, matching a season high. He's tallied four knocks in a game four times this season.
» Gillis struck out eight Cougars hitters.
» The Pilots power output was led by Klemp, who compiled two extra base hits in the ballgame.
» Every Portland starter reached base safely in the win.
» Portland's highest scoring inning was the eighth, when it pushed five runs across.
» Six Pilots had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Pilots had a total of 18 hits. That's the most they've had against a WCC opponent this year and the second most they've hit in a game all season.
» The Pilots out-hit the Cougars at an 18-12 clip.
» Portland went 8-for-24 (.333) with runners in scoring position.
» Portland pitchers faced 45 BYU hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and six fly balls while striking out 11.
» The Pilots drew five walks from BYU pitching.
» Klemp led the Pilots at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI's.
» Cooney recorded three hits in a game for the first time this season.
» The save was the first of the year for Rembisz.
Up Next
The Pilots and Cougars play their rubber match tomorrow at 12 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
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