Final Stats

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Saint Mary's baseball team was victimized by a walk-off home run Sunday, as host Portland clinched the West Coast Conference schedule-opening series with a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth by Tate Budnick, beating the Gaels 4-2 at Joe Etzel Field.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Saint Mary's (10-7, 1-2 WCC) held two one-run leads in the game but couldn't hold on to either of them. Portland (8-12, 2-1 WCC) tied the game, 2-2, in the top of the seventh with a two-out RBI RBI single from Matt Kelly. Kelly led the Pilots with two RBIs and two hits in the game. The Gaels threatened with two baserunners in the eighth, but Portland reliever Connor Knutson recorded two key strikeouts to keep the Gaels from scoring.
  
  
• Saint Mary's had taken a 2-1 lead in the sixth thanks to a towering solo home run over the right field wall by Jackson Thoreson. It was his second home run of the season and second RBI of the game, as he drove in both runs on the day for SMC.
  
  
• The Gaels struck first with a run in the first inning without getting a base hit. SMC took an early 1-0 lead for the second straight day on an RBI groundout by Thoreson. Both leadoff batters reached safely on free passes, then moved up a base on a deep fly ball before Joey Fiske came home on Thoreson's grounder.
  
  
• Portland tied the game at 1-1 on a bunt that turned into an infield single and an RBI in the bottom of the second. SMC starter Ken Waldichuck would go on to retire 14 in a row before Portland's seventh inning rally. He didn't allow an earned run until the seventh, ending a streak of 22 innings pitched without allowing an earned run.

• 2: Jackson Thoreson hit his second home run of the season and led all players with two RBIs. It was his third multi-RBI game of the year.
• 2-1: Portland clinched the series 4-2 with the 4-2 win. It was the first time Portland beat Saint Mary's in a three-game series since 2012, snapping a five-year streak of Saint Mary's winning series versus Portland.
• 8: Ken Waldichuk had eight strikeouts in eight innings pitched. That pushed his team-leading season total to 43.

• Saint Mary's will return home at 3 p.m. Tuesday to host Sacramento State. Tickets are available for purchase on SMCGaels.com or by calling the SMC Ticket Office at (925) 631-GoTx. Fans can find all live coverage links on SMCGaels.com.