SPOKANE, Wash. -- In at thrilling game that saw them slam the door shut on the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the bottom of the ninth, the Portland Pilots defeated the Zags 4-3 in Spokane to even the three-game series.
Carter Gaston (7-1) got the win for Portland (23-13, 9-2). The right-hander went five innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on seven hits, allowing three walks and striking out three. Tanner Douglas was stellar out of the bullpen, going four innings, surrendering one run on six hits, walking one and striking out six for his seventh save of the season.
Portland accumulated four runs on nine hits, with Brady Bean leading the way with three hits in five at-bats. Jake Holcroft was also 2-for-4 on the day while Evan Scavotto was 2-for-5.
How it Happened
The Pilots got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning. Scavotto drove in two runs for Portland with a single, scoring Holcroft and Ben Patacsil.
The Pilots then held the Bulldogs scoreless before expanding their lead in the fourth inning. Portland pushed across a run off Spencer Scott's RBI double, which brought the Pilots lead to 3-0.
Portland held Gonzaga scoreless before building their lead to 4-0 the following inning. The Pilots picked up a run when Scott drew a walk from Liam Paddack that scored Holcroft. Portland kept the Zags at bay until the Bulldogs scored two runs in the fifth to make it just 4-2 Pilots.
The bottom of ninth saw the Zags load the bases with no outs, putting them in position to win. But Douglas struck out one batter and forced a foul out in the next at-bat to fend off the Bulldogs. Gonzaga tried to bring in two runs off a single from Kevin Spear, but the Pilots threw a runner out at home to end the inning and the ball game 4-3.
Game Notes
» Brady Bean compiled three base knocks in the game for Portland.
» Douglas struck out six Bulldogs hitters, earning his seventh save in the process. He leads the WCC in saves.
» Portland pitchers limited Gonzaga to just 2-for-12 (.167) with runners in scoring position.
» Portland pitchers faced 43 Gonzaga hitters in the game, allowing 10 ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out nine.
» The Pilots drew four walks from Gonzaga pitching.
» Scott led the Pilots at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
» The Pilots reclaimed first place in the WCC with the win.
Up Next
The rubber match takes place tomorrow at 1 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
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