Kutz Complete Game Leads Pilots to Win

Given Kutz kept the Aggies off balance all night.

Photo courtesy: portlandpilots.com

DAVIS, Calif. - The Pilots baseball team evened out its series with UC-Davis Saturday afternoon, topping the Aggies 5-2 behind a complete game by junior righthander Given Kutz.

Portland improves to 5-4 on the year while UC-Davis falls to 4-9.

Kutz (1-2) was masterful in nine innings, scattering eight hits and striking out five while allowing only two runs en route to the win.

It was Kutz’s sixth complete game of his Pilot career and first this season. Kutz lowered his season ERA to 5.47 and has a team-leading 17 strikeouts and 24.2 innings pitched.

Senior first sacker James Allen was the hero at the plate for the Pilots, going 2-for-4 at the plate while picking up three RBI and his second career homer, hitting a two-run blast in the second inning to put Portland up 2-0.

Allen is now hitting for a team-best .385 average and a team-high .615 slugging percentage.

Portland went on to score three runs in a wild top of the sixth.

With two outs and senior designated hitter Adam Kerr on second, Allen hit an RBI single to center field. After a single by freshman shortstop C.J. Cullen and a walk by junior second baseman Brandon Howard, the Pilots had the bases loaded with senior left fielder Justin Pierce at the plate.

Pierce hit a groundball to UC-Davis shortstop Justin Schaefer, but an error by Schaefer allowed Allen and Cullen to score to put Portland up 5-1.

Kutz kept the Aggies off balance all night, only allowing runs in the second and the ninth innings.

Portland collected nine hits on the day, with Allen, Kerr and Cullen each picking up two hits.

For UC-Davis, Schaefer went 3-for-3 and centerfielder Ryan Royster went 1-for-4 with two RBI.

The Pilots and Aggies play the rubber match Sunday at 1:00 PM and then the Pilots return home to face Pacific on Wednesday, March 7th at 2:00 PM at Joe Etzel Field.

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