Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- The No. 22 Portland Pilots ran into another tough San Diego starter and dropped a 9-2 decision to the Toreros on Sunday before 664 fans at Joe Etzel Field. Senior Rocky Gale and junior Craig Smith each belted solo home runs for the host Pilots, but senior right-hander A.J. Griffin tossed eight strong innings as San Diego completed the three-game West Coast Conference series sweep.
Portland (31-12, 11-4 WCC) honored its seven graduated seniors prior to the first pitch as part of Senior Day, but the Toreros (30-16, 15-0) would celebrate last as they moved into firm control of first place in the league standings.
San Diego’s starting pitchers held the Pilot lineup in check all weekend, limiting Portland to just three runs for the series. Griffin struck out 12 batters and surrendered just six hits and one walk in his eight innings of work to improve to 6-3 on the season.
Portland starter Zach Varce was cruising through four shutout innings and racked up nine strikeouts, but was tagged for 10 hits and three walks in 5.1 innings. He ended up allowing five earned runs and dropped to 5-2 with the loss.
The Toreros scored first in the top of the fifth with three straight one-out singles, the last by Zach Walters scored Nick McCoy from second. Varce got some help from his catcher Rocky Gale as he threw out Kalei Hanawahine trying to steal third and then forced a flyout to end the frame. Gale would throw out three runners attempting to steal in the game and has thrown out a remarkable 16-of-19 would-be base stealers this season.
Gale quickly evened the score with a leadoff homer to left field in the bottom of the fifth, but San Diego would add four in the sixth to gain control of the game for good. The Toreros led off the inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases. Varce then struck out Tony Strazzara, but walked in the go-ahead run on a borderline full count fastball, which appeared to catch a good amount of the outside of the plate.
The bases-loaded walk seemed to shift momentum in USD’s favor as McCoy followed with an RBI-single and then Hanawahine drove in two more on the next pitch. Varce gave way to reliever Keeler Brynteson who induced an inning-ending double play, but it was all the run support Griffin would need.
San Diego added four more runs in the final three innings, while Smith’s solo blast in the eighth was the only run the Pilots would get back.
Portland had seven hits in the game and no errors, while the Toreros collected 14 hits and completed the three-game set with no errors.
Gale and Smith both finished 2-for-4 at the plate, while Kyle Haskin was 2-for-3 for the Pilots.
James Meador and McCoy each collected three hits for the Toreros.
Portland will return to Joe Etzel Field on Tuesday to host the Washington State Cougars at 3 p.m.
San Diego 9, Portland 2 (May 09, 2010 at Portland, Ore.)
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San Diego........... 000 014 112 - 9 14 0 (30-16, 15-0 WCC)
Portland............ 000 010 010 - 2 7 0 (31-12, 11-4 WCC)
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Pitchers: San Diego - GRIFFIN, AJ; HAUSER, M.(9) and . Portland - VARCE, Zach;
BRYNTESON, Keeler(6); PANTHER, Ben(9) and .
Win-GRIFFIN, AJ(6-3) Loss-VARCE, Zach(5-2) T-2:40 A-664
HR USD - HAAR, B. (5); MCCOY, N. (3).
HR POR - SMITH, Craig (1); GALE, Rocky (2).
Weather: Sunny, warm
