It was a big day for the Portland Pilots, who earned the sweep with two wins over the San Francisco Dons in a Friday doubleheader. The wins mean the Pilots clinch their spot in the 2024 WCC Tournament down in Las Vegas for the third year in a row.
See below for the full recap from each game.
GAME 1 | Portland 7, San Francisco 1
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Carter Gaston was electric on the mound, striking out nine San Francisco hitters over eight innings of work to help lead the Portland Pilots past the Dons 7-1 in Game 1 of their doubleheader.
In addition to his nine strikeouts, Gaston (9-1) went eight innings, giving up one run on three hits and walking two for Portland (26-17, 12-5). At the plate, the Pilots were led by Christian Cooney, who went 1-for-4 on the day with a grand slam and four RBI's. Spencer Scott put together a noteworthy day at the dish as well, going 3-for-4 with two doubles. Justin Ramirez also helped out for Portland, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a double.
How it Happened
The Pilots got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the bottom the first inning. Scott came across to score the lone run of the inning for Portland and get them on the board and make it 1-0 Portland.
After the Dons tied it up in the second the Pilots came back to retake a commanding lead in the third inning. The Portland offense exploded for five runs, highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of Cooney, which brought the Pilots' lead to 6-1.
Portland kept San Francisco scoreless before building their lead to 7-1 in the seventh inning. The Pilots scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Holcroft. The score remained 7-1 for the rest of the game, as Portland coasted to the win.
Game Notes
» Scott picked up three base knocks in the game for Portland to lead the Pilots
» Gaston struck out nine Dons hitters, a career high. Gaston put together eight innings of one-run ball for the Pilots.
» Gaston's nine wins makes him one of just eight Pilot pitchers to ever reach the mark.
» Cooney drove in four runs for Portland, a season high, with his grand slam.
» Portland's highest scoring inning was the third, when it pushed five runs across.
» The Pilots out-hit the Dons at a 9-4 clip.
» Portland went 3-for-9 (.333) with runners in scoring position.
» Portland pitchers faced 31 San Francisco hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and nine fly balls while striking out nine.
» Cooney led the power output for the Pilots, going 1-for-4 with a home run and four RBI's.
GAME 2 | Portland 10, San Francisco 4
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Jake Holcroft racked up four RBI's -- all coming in the eighth inning -- to help power the Portland Pilots over the San Francisco Dons 10-4 in Game 2 of Portland's Friday doubleheader.
Tanner Douglas (3-0) got the win out of the bullpen for Portland (27-17, 13-5). The southpaw went 2.1 innings, giving up three runs, all of them earned, on three hits, allowing two walks and striking out four. Sam Stuhr started the ballgame and went 5.2 innings, surrendering one run on three hits, walking four and striking out one.
Holcroft went 2-for-4 with a home run and a walk in addition to his four RBI's for the Pilots. Holcroft's homer was also the 300th hit of his career. Ben Patacsil furnished a standout effort as well, going 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI's. Spencer Scott also chipped in for Portland, putting together two hits in five trips to the plate.
How it Happened
The Pilots were trailing 1-0 in the sixth inning when they first put runs on the board. Portland scored twice, with one run coming across on a pinch-hit single from Tristan Gomes and another off a single from Patacsil..
The Pilots lost the lead they built in the sixth, but bounced back with a monster eighth inning. Portland hit two home runs -- one from Holcroft to give Portland the lead and another from Patacsil -- on their way to pushing eight runs across, bringing the score to 10-4 in favor of the Pilots. The score remained 10-4 for the rest of the game, as Portland coasted to the win.
Game Notes
» Holcroft led the Pilots at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI's. He also earned his 300th hit, being the only active player in NCAA Division I with at least 300 hits.
» Portland's highest scoring inning was the eighth, when it pushed eight runs across.
» The Pilots out-hit the Dons at a 9-7 clip.
» Portland went 6-for-8 (.750) with runners in scoring position.
» Portland pitchers faced 38 San Francisco hitters in the game, allowing four ground balls and 14 fly balls while striking out seven.
» This is the the third WCC sweep of the year for the Pilots.
» This is the third season in a row the Pilots have clinched their spot in the WCC Tournament. It's the first time they've ever done so three years in a row.
» This is the first time the Pilots have won at least 27 games in three straight seasons since between 1987-89.
Up Next
The Pilots will play the Washington State Cougars in Pullman on Tuesday, May 7 at 3:05 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
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