The University of Portland baseball team claimed their first conference series of the year with a 3-2 win over the Santa Clara Broncos in a tight-contested game at Joe Etzel field Sunday afternoon.
With the win, the Pilots move to 2-7 in conference play.
“With a team like Santa Clara, all you (have to do) is come out pounding the zone, and good things are gonna happen,” said sophomore pitcher Kevin Baker. “Those tight-ball games are really fun...now we’re on an uphill plain. We have nothing to lose at this point. Just keep winning.”
Baker, with a 5.08 E.R.A., pitched his first conference win and had a career-high 11 strikeouts, helping the Pilots keep a 2-0 lead up to the sixth inning. Both runs scored by senior Matt Kelly were driven in by senior Kevin Wade.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said head coach Geoff Loomis. “We’ve had a really difficult schedule in terms of travel, and so the fact that…(we got) our first series victory at home, I think it’s important for us. We wanna keep holding home field advantage and keep winning games while we’re here.”
The Broncos caught up to the Pilots in the top of the sixth with a pair of back-to-back errors by Kelly. But Wade hit a solo run in the bottom of the sixth, putting Portland back in the lead.
Baker, who turned his ankle when making a play, was replaced by junior Jordan Horak. Horak helped the Pilots keep their lead in the top of the seventh, getting a strikeout to end the inning with loaded bases.
Senior Marty Luckenbach took the mound in the final frame and picked up his second save of the weekend. Freshman Cal Webb ended the game with a catch for the third out in the top of the ninth.
The Pilots will next host No. 1 Oregon State on Tuesday, April 4 at 6 p.m.
