LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The Portland Pilots took down the Saint Mary's Gaels 8-4 to advance to their first WCC Tournament championship in program history.

Peter Allegro recorded the win for Portland. In addition to matching his career high with 10 strikeouts, Allegro (7-3) went eight innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on seven hits and walking none for Portland (31-22). Jacob Dobmeier also made an impact on the mound for the Pilots, throwing one scoreless inning while allowing one hit, with no walks and one strikeout to close it out.

Jake Holcroft led the way offensively for the Pilots, going 2-for-5 in the ballgame with a walk and two RBI's. Jake Tsukada furnished a standout day at the plate as well, going 2-for-3 with a double and two walks. Nich Klemp also contributed, going 1-for-3 for Portland with a double, two walks and an RBI.

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 Zach Toglia, scoring Christian Cooney from second base.

The Pilots then held the Gaels scoreless before expanding their lead in the third inning. Holcroft came across to score the lone run of the inning for Portland off an error, which brought the score to 2-0 in favor of the Pilots.

Saint Mary's clawed back to tie the ballgame at two before Portland reclaimed a 6-2 advantage in the fourth inning. The Pilots bats heated up in the inning, scoring four runs, including a two-run single off the bat of Holcroft and two more off an error by Saint Mary's.

The Gaels fought back, closing the gap to 6-4 until Portland added some insurance in the eighth. The Pilots got run-scoring doubles from Klemp and Briley Knight to pick up two runs, bringing the Portland advantage to 8-4. The score remained 8-4 for the rest of the game, with Dobmeier closing it out to send Portland to the championship.

Game Notes
» Allegro struck out 10 Gaels hitters, matching a career high.
» Every Portland starter reached base safely in the win.
» Portland's highest scoring inning was the fourth, when it pushed four runs across.
» Klemp extended his hitting streak to 21 games. Klemp also upped his hit total to 82 on the year, keeping the record for hits in a single year.
» The Pilots out-hit the Gaels at a 9-8 clip.
» Portland pitchers limited Saint Mary's to just 1-for-6 (.167) with runners in scoring position.
» Portland pitchers faced 38 Saint Mary's hitters in the game, allowing eight ground balls and eight fly balls while striking out 11.
» The Pilots drew 10 walks from Saint Mary's pitching.
» Holcroft led the Pilots at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two RBI's.
» Holcroft challenged Klemp's record, set earlier today, with two hits that put him at 81 for the season. It is the second most of any Pilot in program history over the course of a single season.
» This is the first time the Pilots have advanced to the championship of the WCC Tournament.

Up Next

If the Pilots win two games tomorrow, they will win the WCC Tournament and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. If they lose once, they will take second. The championship takes place tomorrow at 1 p.m. on ESPN U. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.

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