Klemp had two homers in Portland’s 17-3 win over Utah Tech

ST. GEORGE, Utah — Portland catcher Nick Klemp had a stellar outing on Friday, hitting two home runs to lead the Portland Pilots over Utah Tech 17-3. The game was called after seven innings due to the WAC 10 run mercy rule.

Sophomore right-hander Joey Gartrell (1-0) got the win for Portland (1-0). He went five innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits, allowing three walks and striking out three. Sophomore Kaden Segel pitched well as well, striking out two without allowing a hit and striking out one on four walks.

Klemp went 4-for-5 at the plate to complement his two home runs with two RBIs. Tristan Gomez went 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBI’s along with two walks to add to Klemp’s impressive power hitting performance. Evan Scavoto also helped for the Pilots, going 2-for-5 with a double, walk and two RBI, while Jake Shukada hit 3-for-4 with two RBI.

How did it happen?

The Pilots scored twice to start the scoring early. One run came on a single by Tuckada and the other on a single by Briley Knight.

The chasers gained ground and narrowed the lead to 2-1 before the Pilots extended their advantage in the third. Portland hit two home runs in the inning to push across six runs to put the Pilots up 8-1.

Utah Tech added a run before the Pilots extended the advantage to 16-2. The Pilots’ bats got hot in the game and scored eight runs, a two-run double off the bat of Scavoto and a two-run single by Spencer Scott.

Portland held the Trailblazers to no runs before their offense returned to scoring in the next inning. The Pilots scored a run when junior Jake Holcroft drew a walk that scored Tucudad, making it 17-2 Portland. Utah Tech put one run on the scoreboard before the game ended, but the Pilots still went on to win 17-3.

Game notes

• Each Portland rookie made it safely to the venue in victory.
• Portland’s top score was the fourth, driving in eight runs.
• Portland led 2-0 in the first half and didn’t give up that lead for the rest of the game.
• Six pilots have multiple hits in the ballgame.
• Portland scored 17 runs on the day, its most in an Opening Day game since 1985.
• The Pilots had a total of 17 wins. The Pilots hit the trails in a 17-4 clip.
• Nick Klemp’s two home runs marked the first time in his Pilot career that he had multiple home runs in one game.
• Tristan Gomes also had a big hit and had five RBI in his Pilot debut. In their first conversation in the pilot, the last person Homer returned to in 2020 was Jake Holcroft. In the same game, Travis Turney had five RBI with a homer.
• Portland went 9-for-16 (.563) with runners in scoring position.
• The Pilots had two hits with the bases loaded in five at-bats.
• Portland pitchers held Utah Tech to just 1-for-10 (.100) with runners in scoring position.
• In the game, Portland’s pitchers faced 31 Utah Tech hitters, allowing six ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out seven.
• The Pilots drew within seven walks of Utah Tech pitching.
• Utah Tech was led offensively by senior Zach Thomas, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI.
• Junior Carson Angerot led the Trailblazers pitching staff, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings.
• This is the fifth straight year the Pilots have won the season opener.

Next

The Pilots and Series will play a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 1 p.m. The first game will go seven innings followed by a nine-inning game. Check out PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.

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