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Huskies Use Balanced Effort to Defeat Portland

Apr 13, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Washington Huskies (12-16) used a balanced effort from its pitching staff and lineup to defeat the Portland Pilots (16-15) by a score of 6-4 on Tuesday evening. 

With Gabe Smith making his first start of the season for UW, the lineup gave him early help, hanging a three-spot in the very first frame. Two singles and an error with one out loaded the bases in the top of the first for Cole Miller, who ripped a double down the third base line that went all the way to the wall, allowing all three runners to score. 

Gabe Smith took the mound with a 3-0 lead and would not allow the Pilots anything more than a couple of scattered singles across his four innings. He was both efficient and effective, not allowing a runner past second base and not issuing a walk in his 4.0 scoreless innings. 

Dylan Lamb entered for the fifth and tossed two scoreless innings with three strikeouts to put himself in position for the win, his team-high fourth of the season. Colton Charnholm was given the seventh and eighth innings and allowed a solo home run, but that was it for Portland through eight. 

Will Simpson provided insurance when he blasted a home run to right field in the top of the seventh, his fifth straight hit going the other way. Simpson now leads the team in all three major stat categories, batting .299 with 5 home runs and 19 RBIs. 

The Huskies would add on two more very important runs in the top of the ninth, with a Christian Jones RBI double and Will Simpson sac fly putting UW ahead by a score of 6-1 going into the last half inning. Portland did not go away easily, scoring three times in the bottom of the ninth and bringing the tying run to the plate. Davis Delorefice dug deep and finished the inning off with a groundout to earn his third save of the season.

Tuesday's game saw the Huskies finish off a two-game season sweep of the Pilots, having also defeated them 2-1 earlier in the season at Husky Ballpark. 

Washington returns home this weekend for a three-game series against non-conference foe Texas State. The first game of the series is Friday night, with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch.