PORTLAND, Ore. – Saint Mary's Baseball climbed all the way back from an eight-run deficit against the third-place Pilots, and brought the tying run to the plate in the eighth and ninth innings in an 8-6 loss on a rainy Friday in Portland.
 
The Pilots strung together base hits right away, which along with a hit by pitch and a sac fly got Portland out to a 3-0 lead in the first.
 
A pair of singles and pair of doubles put the Pilots up 6-0 in the second and they would get two more runs on Gaels miscues on a wild pitch and an error for an 8-0 Portland advantage.
 
The Gaels loaded bases in the third but didn't score, however that would not be the case in the seventh. Portland walked the bases loaded and Hayden Driggs hit a single through the right side to get the Gaels on the board and drive in Blake McDonald.
 
Gavin Napier worked a 3-1 count and then belted a grand slam out to left field for his first career round tripper with the bases loaded, and SMC had cut it to an 8-5 deficit. Nick Mistone started up another rally with a double right after the grand slam that was followed by a Chris Santiago single with still just one out to put runners at the corners.
 
Freshman Hunter Hirayama bunted up the first base on a 3-1 count to score Mistone and advance Santiago to cut it to an 8-6 game before a strikeout ended the frame. Portland threatened in the bottom of the seventh but the combo of Jack Snook and Ryan Sanders kept it to just a two-run lead for the Pilots.
 
The Gaels brought the tying run to the plate in the eighth when Dalton Mashore walked. Javy Espinoza worked a 3-0 count before it went full, showing a bunt every time, but then lined out on a well-hit ball to left. Mashore stole second, but the next two Gaels hitters were retired via strikeouts.
 
In the ninth, it was Napier again who started the threat for Saint Mary's with a base hit up the middle. But the Pilots retired the next three Gaels batters, with the last two again coming by strikeout.
 
UP NEXT
Saint Mary's scheduled to play game two in Portland at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Game one was moved up from 6:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. due to pending rainy conditions.