PORTLAND, Ore. — The University of San Diego baseball team rallied from a four-run deficit to draw even in the sixth inning, but Portland answered with a three-run seventh and held on for a 9-5 win over the Toreros on Saturday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field.
Phoenix Brant turned in the day's standout line, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored from the eighth spot in the order, and
CJ Moran added a 2-for-5 effort with a double and an RBI. The Toreros (17-27, 9-12 WCC) outhit the Pilots 9-10 on a cloudy afternoon in front of 338 fans, but they were undone by a pair of three-run home runs and an eight-walk afternoon from the pitching staff.
Portland (25-19, 11-10 WCC) drew first blood by scratching across a run in the bottom of the first on a Leo Cote sacrifice fly, after Moran had given USD a 1-0 lead in the top of the frame when he dashed home on
Diego Gonzalez's RBI sacrifice bunt.
The Pilots took control in the third. Dakota Chun launched a three-run homer to deep right field off reliever
Fernando Palencia, scoring Cote and Jonas Salk and putting Portland on top 5-1.
USD answered with a three-run fourth against Pilots starter Trey Newmann.
Connor Meidroth led off with a double to left-center and came home on a
Jayden Lobliner groundout. Brant followed with a single, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on
Cade Martinez's RBI single to right. Two batters later, Martinez scored on another wild pitch to pull the Toreros within one at 5-4.
San Diego tied it in the sixth when Brant doubled to right-center, took third on a Martinez sacrifice bunt, and scored on Moran's groundout to short. The score stood at 5-5 entering the seventh.
The Pilots reclaimed the lead for good in the bottom half. Brady Bean and Salk opened the inning with back-to-back singles off
Logan Piper, and after a strikeout, Cody Nitowitz turned on the first pitch from reliever
Kyle Bade and drove it over the wall in left for a three-run home run that made it 8-5. Portland tacked on an insurance run in the eighth on a Bean sacrifice fly.
Piper (0-2) was charged with the loss after allowing two runs on two hits over 1.2 innings. Starter
Nate DeSchryver lasted just one frame, walking four and giving up two runs.
Hayden Cody provided the longest clean stretch out of the bullpen, working 2.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Newmann gave way to Kaden Segel (4-1), who picked up the win after tossing 3.0 innings and allowing one run. Alexander Via earned his ninth save with 1.2 hitless innings to close it out.
Nitowitz finished 3-for-3 with a home run, a double and four RBI to lead Portland at the plate. Chun added three RBI on his third-inning blast.
UP NEXT
The Toreros are back in action on Tuesday night, when they return home to host UC Irvine for a non-conference midweek matchup. First pitch against the Anteaters at Fowler Park is set for 6:00 p.m.
