The Portland Pilots defeated Saint Mary’s 6-1 in West Coast Conference baseball action at Joe Etzel Field, according to a March 29 announcement. Freshman pitcher Will Labonte led the team by throwing six strong innings, improving his record to 2-0 for the season.
This win allowed Portland (17-8, 5-1 WCC) to claim the series against the Gaels (14-13, 2-4), who entered the weekend ranked sixth nationally in batting average. The Pilots’ pitching staff limited Saint Mary’s offense throughout the three-game set, holding them to a .248 average compared to their season mark of .340.
Labonte allowed just seven hits and no walks while striking out five batters. Gage Bruce contributed offensively with three hits and three runs batted in, while Cole Katayama Stall added two hits, including his fifth home run of the year, and scored three times. Relievers Grady Keljo and Ky Hoskinson combined for three scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Portland took an early lead with a three-run first inning and continued adding insurance runs through Katayama Stall’s RBI single and Bruce’s timely hitting. The only run for Saint Mary’s came in the second inning. Neither team committed an error during the game.
Looking ahead, Portland will play No. 20 Oregon on Tuesday before resuming conference play against Seattle University later in the week.
