LAS VEGAS - Nick Brink struck out 13 Gaels, allowing No. 2 Portland to beat No. 3 Saint Mary's, 16-7, Thursday night in the second round of the 2024 West Coast Conference Baseball Tournament from Las Vegas Ballpark. 

With the win, the Pilots advance to the winner's bracket and will play No. 1 San Diego on Friday. The Gaels will play No. 4 Gonzaga in an elimination game on Friday at noon. 

Brink was on fire to start the game, striking out seven of the first nine batters he faced. He went five and two-thirds with a total of 13 strikeouts. 

The Pilots' bats came alive in the third inning. Already leading 1-0, Ben Patacsil started the scoring with an RBI single. Zach Toglia then belted his second double of the night, this one scoring two more runs. Christian Cooney then capped off the inning with two-run single, making it 6-0.

After Portland increased its lead to 9-0, Saint Mary's got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when Christian Almanza, one of the WCC's top home run hitters all season, hit a bomb to right to make it 9-3. 

The Pilots answered right back with four in the bottom of the fifth, capped by a three-run homer from Jake Holcroft. The home run extended the Portland lead to 13-3. Saint Mary's got two back in the top of the sixth and loaded the bases before Morgan Codron got the Pilots out of the jam.