PORTLAND, Ore.  – The USF baseball team applied the pressure but couldn't capitalize on most of their chances in a 5-2 loss at Portland on Saturday night at Joe Etzel Field.
 
The Dons had runners on base in every inning except one, and put runners in scoring position in seven of the nine frames.  
 
Ross Puskarich drove in a run and collected a pair of hits, while Harrison Bruce enjoyed a three-hit day and scored a run.
 
USF starter Thomas Ponticelli (3-5) got out to a slow start as he struggled to find his command early. He allowed hits to the first two Portland hitters before Caleb Whalen plated the first Pilot run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first.
 
Ponticelli's defense helped him get out of the first with a 6-4-3 double play.
 
After working his way out of runners in scoring position situations in the second, third and fourth, Ponticelli ran into trouble in the fifth, surrendering three runs before being relieved by Mack Meyer, who struck out Grant Sutton on three pitches to get out of the inning.
 
Meyer established a new season-best with 3.1 innings pitched and recorded a season-high three strikeouts out of the bullpen.
 
Ponticelli worked 4.2 in the loss, allowing four runs on nine hits while walking a pair and striking out four.
 
Puskarich put USF (18-30, 12-11 WCC) on the board when he ripped a two-out single to left in the top of the third where the throw from left field to the plate had Aaron Ping beat by a few steps, but Ping's slide knocked the ball out of the Portland catcher Devin Kopas' glove, helping USF tie it at 1-1.
 
Ryan Matranga gave the Dons a 2-1 lead when he drove in Bruce on a sacrifice fly in the fourth after Bruce scampered to third on a throwing error by Kopas as he stole second two pitches prior.
 
Pinch-hitter Riley Helland had runners at second and third with two outs in the eight but struck out swinging.
 
USF loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth after Puskarich looped a soft liner into shallow center for a base hit, but Dan James' line drive in the next at-bat went right to shortstop Pozos for the final out of the ballgame.   
 
In Portland's three-run third, Brady Kerr lined a long single to right field that plated a runner from first, followed by a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Ryan Barr. Kevin Farley capped off the Portland scoring with an RBI single that glanced off a diving Smoot's glove at third.
 
Portland (16-28, 3-17 WCC) took advantage of a throwing error by Ping in the bottom of the sixth that allowed a run to score after Ping's throw to first from behind second base skipped into the USF dugout.
 
Nico Giarratano and Puskarich teamed for a nice run-saving defensive play to escape the sixth after Giarratano made a sliding backhand stop in the hole at short and Puskarich scooped his low throw across the diamond.
 
Bruce took another run away when he gunned down a Portland runner trying to score on a base hit to end the bottom of the eighth.  
 
Davis Tominaga (4-8) picked up the win for the Pilots, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits over eight innings of work while striking out eight and walking four.
 
Kevin Baker earned the save by closing out the ninth.
 
Pozos and Kerr each tallied four hits to lead the Pilots offensively, while Farley added three hits on the night.  
 
 
NOTES: 3B Allen Smoot extended his on-base streak to 16 games - the longest current streak on the team – with a walk in the third… RHP Mack Meyer has only allowed one of his last 10 inherited runners to score... with the loss, the Dons sit in a tie in 5th place in the WCC standings with Loyola Marymount. 
 
UP NEXT: The Dons and Pilots play the rubber match of their three-game set on Sunday with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. from Joe Etzel Field. Junior right-hander James Kannenberg (5-4, 3.84) will take the mound, while Portland will send out righty Jordan Wilcox (4-2, 4.12). Sunday's action can be followed via live stats on PortlandPilots.com and a live video stream on TheW.tv.