After a 14-3 victory last week, it looked as if Oregon had finally solved the Portland Pilots. With a chance to prove just that on Wednesday at PK Park, the Ducks instead took another step back in a 4-2 loss.
Oregon (21-18, 4-8 Pac-10) struggled once again to put runs on the board, and the Pilots (15-23) managed to squeeze by with a win after scoring two crucial eighth inning runs.
“Today, for some reason, I didn’t think we really had the focus or the competitiveness,” Oregon head coach George Horton said. “I don’t know why, but I think the team with the best attitude won the game.”
In the early innings, it looked as if Oregon starter Porter Clayton and Portland’s Kyle Kraus would match each other pitch for pitch. Clayton allowed no hits through the game’s first four innings, and both starters made it through five innings before allowing a run.
Portland struck first in the top of the sixth inning. Clayton was removed after 5.1 innings, bringing reliever Jeff Gold into the game. With a runner on second base, Portland’s Kevin Armijo blasted a two-run home run over the left-field wall to give the Pilots a 2-0 advantage.
Clayton was charged with one of those runs, but Horton remained impressed by his outing.
“That was the bright spot,” Horton said. “We did good enough certainly on the mound to win, we just didn’t do enough offensively to get it done tonight.”
Oregon did manage to respond in the bottom of the sixth inning, as second baseman Danny Pulfer laced a double into left center field and came home on an RBI groundout from left fielder Stefan Sabol.
In the bottom of the seventh, shortstop KC Serna homered to deep left field to tie the game. All of a sudden, it appeared that the momentum had shifted in favor of the Ducks.
“It was only tied,” Pulfer said. “But I thought the momentum was definitely on our side. Had we put up a zero in the eighth, I thought we would have scored in the bottom half and that would have been big.”
And yet, Portland bounced right back with two more runs in the very next inning, leaving Oregon flummoxed.
“We kind of set the table for them,” Horton said. “And then they took advantage of it.”
Kraus lasted all the way through the eighth inning, and closer Chris Dennis finished the Ducks off to earn the save.
“They did what every good team does,” Pulfer said. “They punched back, and punched us right in the mouth, and we didn’t get off the ground.”
With the loss, Oregon’s record fell to 2-2 against the Pilots this season. Time and again, Portland has proven that it is not intimidated by playing in PK Park.
“They’re trying to make it a little rivalry I think,” Serna said. “Because they feel like they have the upper hand on us at our field, and in general.”
Despite his frustrations, Horton did see some positives coming out of the loss.
“Porter Clayton’s outing was very good; Kellen (Moen) threw good at the end,” Horton said. “KC hitting the home run, maybe that’ll get him on track a little bit. But I know my warriors aren’t looking for consolation prizes.
“They threw their top guys, and we weren’t worthy of the challenge.”
For Pulfer, it looked as though recent success against the Pilots had plagued the team’s mindset. The eleven-run victory last week was still fresh in Oregon’s mind, and it came back to bite them on Wednesday.
“Tonight I think we just expected a win,” Pulfer said. “And it didn’t happen. And that’s been the story of our season.”
[email protected]