PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — The Holy Cross Crusaders look to snap a two-game skid and even their weekend series when they face the Portland Pilots in wet conditions at Joe Etzel Field on Saturday.

The Crusaders (4-8) dropped the series opener 15-3 on Thursday and were shut out 3-0 on Friday. They will need to solve Portland right-hander Carter Gaston, who dominated them earlier in the week. Gaston (2-0) earned the win Thursday, throwing five scoreless innings with three strikeouts. In his last two starts, spanning 10.1 innings, he has allowed zero earned runs.

A player to watch for Holy Cross is reliever Dan Mateffy, who provided 1.1 scoreless innings of relief in Thursday’s loss. His season, however, has been inconsistent, including a tough outing on Feb. 21 where he allowed five earned runs while recording just one out.

Portland (5-6) has found momentum at home, winning three of its last four games at Joe Etzel Field. Third baseman Leo Cote, who homered and drove in three runs Thursday, and outfielder Cody Nitowitz, who also had three RBIs, keyed the Pilots’ 15-run outburst.

Despite Portland’s recent dominance in the series and home-field advantage, Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-3 victory for Holy Cross in this contest.

First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. under a forecast of 51-degree temperatures and rain.

Following Saturday’s game, the series concludes Sunday before Holy Cross travels to face Massachusetts on Tuesday. Portland will host Connecticut for a three-game series starting next Friday.