BELIEVUE, Wash. (Interstat) — William Labonte and two relievers combined on a two-hit shutout Saturday afternoon as the Portland Pilots salvaged the final game of their series with a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Redhawks at Bannerwood Park.

The Pilots (19-10), who dropped the first two games of the series, scored all three of their runs in the first inning and then relied on dominant pitching to snap a two-game skid. The Redhawks (7-19) were shut out for the fourth time this season.

The most important part of the game was the immediate and sustained command established by Portland’s pitching staff, which rendered Seattle’s early deficit insurmountable. Labonte, the top star for Portland, set the tone with six hitless innings. He walked two and struck out six, facing just one batter over the minimum through his outing. The right-hander extended a stellar run of form, having allowed just one earned run over his last 12 innings.

Seattle’s only two hits came off the bullpen. Kenny Rhein doubled down the left field line with one out in the sixth, representing the Redhawks’ first and only runner to reach second base against Labonte. He was stranded at third. Their other hit was a single by Beauchaine in the second inning, which was immediately erased by a double play.

After Labonte departed, Morgan Codron was perfect over the seventh and eighth innings, striking out four of the six batters he faced. Alexander Via worked around a walk in the ninth, striking out two to secure the combined shutout. Portland pitchers racked up 12 strikeouts and did not allow a Seattle runner to reach third base after the sixth inning.

The Pilots provided all the necessary offense in the top of the first against Seattle starter Micah Hagler. Bean B led off with a single, Nitowitz C walked, and both advanced on a wild pitch. Trey Swygart then drove in Bean with a single to center. After another walk loaded the bases, Salk J drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Nitowitz. Swygart then scored on a double-play grounder from Miller N.

Hagler settled in after the rocky first, allowing just three more hits over his six innings of work. He finished with four strikeouts. The Redhawks bullpen of Jake Morell and Blake Smith held Portland scoreless over the final three frames, but the offense could not mount a threat.

Portland finished with seven hits. Swygart had the lone RBI, while Nitowitz and Chun D each had two hits.

The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat, whose game simulator had forecast a 7-3 Portland victory. The Pilots improved to 19-10 on the season, while the Redhawks fell to 7-19.

Portland will host Oregon on Wednesday before a weekend series at Gonzaga. Seattle is off until next Friday when it begins a three-game home series against Loyola Marymount.