SAN FRANCISCO – Grant Goodman's seven shutout innings and enough timely hitting by the offense helped lead the USF baseball team to a 4-0 win over Portland in the series opener on Thursday afternoon from Benedetti Diamond.
 
Goodman (3-2) scattered four hits and walked a batter while striking out three as the right-hander prevented the Pilots from getting runners in scoring position in all but one inning of his outing.
  "What I saw out of [Grant] today was the same as I see every single Friday," head coach Nino Giarratano said. "When you look at it, he shouldn't have been beat at all yet this year. Another great outing for him."
 
The Pilots only advanced to second twice against Goodman.
 
Harrison Bruce ripped a go-ahead two-out triple in the fifth, followed by Nico Giarratano's RBI double off the right-center netting that gave the Dons the 2-0 lead that they would eventually build on.
 
USF (17-17, 4-9 WCC) tacked on some insurance when Dominic Miroglio launched a solo home run on the first offering he saw from Portland starter Tate Budnick with two down in the sixth. It was Miroglio's team-leading fifth long ball of the year.  
 
Matt Sinatro, who came on as a pinch-hitter in the fifth, drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth to plate the final USF run.  
 
"I thought the two-out RBIs by Harry and Nico were big," added Giarratano, "but I think we could have had some better at-bats overall. Their guy did a good job keeping us off balance, but I thought offensively we were good enough. I'm disappointed that we only got one in the eighth with the bases loaded. We just weren't ready to execute, but four was enough today."
 
The Dons had the bases loaded with nobody out in the eighth only to see Brady Bate pop out, Bruce strike out swinging and Giarratano ground out.
 
Portland (7-26-1, 3-10 WCC) threatened twice in the game. The Pilots opened the eighth with a single and hit-by-pitch that chased Goodman and saw left-hander Scott Parker come in and get out of the jam by retiring both batters he faced, while getting a clutch defensive play by Miroglio behind the plate as the junior cut down Dutton Elske trying to take second on a wild pitch.
 
The Pilots also made things interesting in the top of the ninth by putting runners on first and second with a pair of singles before Brendan Jenkins closed the door by getting a groundout to end the game.
 
USF will send right-hander Thomas Ponticelli (0-1, 2.59) to the hill on Friday afternoon, while Portland will counter with lefty Grady Miller (1-5, 5.02). First pitch from Benedetti Diamond is slated for 3 p.m.