PORTLAND, Ore. -- Nick Brink punched out 13 San Francisco hitters over nine innings of work and Jake Holcroft went perfect at the plate to help power the Portland Pilots over the Dons 7-3 in the series opener.
In addition to his 13 strikeouts, Brink (7-4) put together his second complete game of the year, giving up three runs, all of them earned, on five hits and walking one for Portland (25-17, 11-5). He's the first Pilot to throw multiple complete games in a season since 2015.
Holcroft went 4-for-4 on the day with a home run -- his fifth of the year -- and three RBI's. Jack Thomson put together a standout day at the dish as well, going 1-for-4 with a home run, a walk and two RBI's. Spencer Scott also contributed for Portland, putting together two hits in five trips to the plate.
How it Happened
Trailing 2-0, the Pilots first put runs on the board in the first inning. Ben Patacsil drove in two runs for Portland with a single, scoring Scott and Holcroft.
The game remained tied until the fifth inning, when the Pilots got going again on offense. Portland scored on Holcroft's two-run homer, which brought the score to 4-2 in favor of the Pilots.
Portland kept San Francisco without a run before building their lead to 6-2 in the seventh inning. The Pilots added two to their tally on Thomson's two-run moonshot over the right-field wall.
The Dons gained some ground, closing the gap to 6-3 until Portland added some insurance in the eighth. Christian Cooney crossed home plate with the lone run of the inning for the Pilots, bringing the Portland advantage to 7-3. Brink continued his dominance on the mound and the score remained 7-3 for the rest of the game, with the Pilots coasting to the win.
Game Notes
» Holcroft racked up four hits on the day for Portland including his fifth home run of the year.
» Brink struck out 13 Dons hitters on the night, a career high. He is one strikeout shy of 100 on the year.
» Brink is the first Pilot since 2015 to throw multiple complete games in a season.
» The Pilots out-hit the Dons at an 11-5 clip.
» Portland pitchers faced 33 San Francisco hitters in the game, allowing nine ground balls and five fly balls while striking out 13.
Up Next
The Pilots and Dons will play a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 10 a.m. The second game will begin approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first. Check PortlandPilots.com for more information.
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