Portland defeated the Pacific Tigers 9-5 in a comeback victory on May 16 during the baseball season finale at Joe Etzel Field. The game included a pregame ceremony honoring six Portland seniors, many of whom played key roles in their final appearance with the team.
The result moved Portland to a tie for sixth place in the West Coast Conference standings with Santa Clara, but Santa Clara will advance to next week’s conference tournament via tiebreaker. Head coach Geoff Loomis and the Pilots finished above .500 for the fourth time in five seasons, ending with an overall record of 27-25.
Senior right-hander Morgan Codron earned the win by pitching four innings in relief and allowing just two runs. Senior second baseman Jonas Salk reached base three times and scored three runs, while senior third baseman JT Landwehr contributed two hits, one run, two RBIs, and several defensive plays. Senior center fielder Brady Bean also reached base twice and scored once. Gage Bruce went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and hit a crucial two-run home run late in the game.
Freshman starter Will Labonte pitched five innings for Portland, giving up three runs on four hits. For Pacific, starter Garret Plata allowed three runs over six innings with five strikeouts before Nathen Nino took the loss out of relief.
The Pilots led early but trailed after Pacific’s Grant MacArthur hit a two-run homer and Jake Tandy added an RBI single. Portland narrowed the gap before rallying for four runs in the seventh inning to take control of the game. Bruce’s home run provided insurance as Codron closed out his collegiate career by securing the win.
Other seniors recognized included pitchers Carter Gaston and Kaden Segel; Segel had picked up a win earlier that week while Gaston made his final appearance at Oregon State.
