Seattle University received another quality start Tuesday, but the offense could not bring enough runs across the plate as the Portland Pilots held on for a 2-1 victory over the Redhawks in a non-conference collegiate baseball game at Bannerwood Park.
Portland (4-11) jumped on the board in the top of the first inning as Geoffrey Lee and Michael Lucarelli led off with back-to-back singles, and then they advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Kevin Farley hit a fly ball to center field deep enough to allow Lee to score the first run of the game.
Seattle U starter Tarik Skubal (Kingman, Ariz.) settled down, facing the minimum number of batters until there was one out in the fourth inning, when Farley singled and Cody Lenahan followed with a double. Turner Gill’s grounder to first base was enough to bring Farley home, extending the Pilot lead to 2-0.
Skubal held the Pilots at bay, stranding a Portland runner at third base in the fifth inning and inducing a double play in the seventh inning. In total, Skubal allowed just six hits and one walk in seven innings, striking out four batters as he threw 85 pitches, 59 of them for strikes. Skyler Genger (Kent, Wash.) pitched a perfect eighth inning, and Will Dennis (Saratoga, Calif.) allowed two two-out singles before inducing a lineout to end the inning.
Portland starter Jordan Wilcox allowed two singles with one out in the second inning before earning a strikeout and a groundout to end the Redhawk threat. He did not allow another hit until there was one out in the sixth inning, when Landon Cray (Chimacum, Wash.) doubled and Brian Olson (Black Diamond, Wash.) singled to put runners at the corners. Grant Newton (Bend, Ore.) drove Cray home with a sacrifice fly to right field, cutting the Redhawk deficit in half.
With one out in the eighth inning, Griffin Andreychuk (Nanaimo, B.C.) reached second base on a Pilot throwing error. Brandon Snyder came on in relief and walked Cray before picking up a strikeout. Newton sent a slow grounder up the middle and was able to beat the throw to first base, but Andreychuk was cut down trying to score from second base.
Snyder remained in the game in the ninth inning and gave up a two-out single to Brock Carpenter (Milton, Wash.), but he induced a groundout to complete his first save of the season. Wilcox picked up the victory, giving up just four hits and one walk in 7 1/3 innings of work while collecting four strikeouts.
Seattle University (4-9) hosts UC Davis in a three-game series, starting Friday, March 6, at 5 p.m., continuing Saturday, March 7, at 2 p.m., and concluding Sunday, March 8, at 12 noon at Bannerwood Park. There will be live stats and live audio/video for all three games on GoSeattleU.com.