PORTLAND, Ore. — Host Portland struck early on Friday and used a huge 10-run fifth inning to pull away and clinch a West Coast Conference series victory over the Santa Clara University baseball team with a 16-2, seven-innings win in game two of the series at Joe Etzel Field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Santa Clara got a multi-hit performance from Andrew Rayment in the ninth spot of the order. The freshman outfielder went 2 for 2 for the second multi-hit game of his career and second in his last five games. Rayment also drove home the Broncos' (17-25, 5-12 WCC) first run of the game. He hit a two-out single back up the middle on an 0-2 count in the second inning to score Malcolm Williams – who had doubled off the left field wall earlier in the frame – to make it 4-1 at the time.
   
• Santa Clara loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with only one out, thanks in part to two Portland errors. It also got its second run of the game thanks to the second Pilots error, as pinch-hitter Koen Carston scored from second on a ball hit by pinch-hitter Kai Cunningham.
   
• Each of the first five Pilots to hit in the game reached safely, three of them via walks. The biggest blow came off of Trey Swygart's bat, who chased Santa Clara starter Jace Gillmore from the game with a first-inning grand slam, making it 4-0 before an out had been recorded.
   
• The Pilots' 10-run fifth inning included seven walks and six hits – three of them for extra bases. That included a three-run home run by Tyler Howard before an out was recorded, making it 9-1 at the time. Portland (20-23, 11-6 WCC) sent 16 batters to the plate and left the bases loaded. Portland scored 16 runs Friday and still stranded 10 runners – six of those in scoring position.
   
• Portland was led by Howard at the top of the order. He went 3 for 4 with the grand slam home run, four RBIs, a walk and two runs scored. Jonas Salk (3 for 4) and Swygart (3 for 4) and Riley McCarthy (2 for 4) also had multi-hit games for the Pilots. Carter Gaston (3-7) threw a seven-inning complete game, only allowing one earned run (two total) on four scattered hits and four strikeouts.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 1st: Two collegiate debuts were made on Friday for the Broncos – Redshirt freshman utility player Russ Filter made his collegiate debut, pinch-hitting in the top of the sixth then moving into the shortstop position, where he fielded the first play of the bottom of the sixth cleanly. Dylan Joyce also made his NCAA Division I pitching debut. The graduate student, who recorded double-digit saves as a two-way player at the University of Puget Sound, threw a scoreless, 1-2-3 sixth inning, recording a swinging strikeout to end the frame.
• 14: A night after recording their most strikeouts in a game in at least 15 years, the Broncos' pitching staff issued their most walks in a game – 14 – in more than six seasons. They delt 16 walks on Feb. 18, 2019, versus San Jose State.

COMING UP

• The series finale is scheduled for a noon first pitch. Fans can find all live coverage links on SantaClaraBroncos.com.