PORTLAND, Ore. (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth nonconference clash Wednesday at Joe Etzel Field, the Portland Pilots erupted for seven runs in the seventh inning to overcome a six-run deficit and stun the Oregon Ducks 13-9.

The game’s most important sequence came in that decisive bottom of the seventh, transforming a 9-6 Oregon lead into a commanding Portland advantage. The Pilots sent 11 batters to the plate, capitalizing on shaky Oregon relief pitching and defensive miscues to complete the comeback.

Oregon had controlled the early action, building a 9-2 lead by the third inning. Brayden Jaksa launched a solo home run in the first, and Drew Smith crushed a three-run homer in the third. Naulivou Lauaki Jr. added a solo shot in the seventh, part of his 3-for-4 day, to extend the Ducks’ lead to 9-7.

Portland chipped away, scoring four in the third, highlighted by a two-run double from Leo Cote and an RBI double from Cody Nitowitz. They added an unearned run in the sixth to close within two.

Then came the seventh-inning explosion. After a walk and a flyout, Nitowitz walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Cole Katayama-Stall, who finished 2-for-3, then delivered the pivotal blow, a three-run homer to right field off reliever Luke Morgan to give Portland its first lead at 10-9.

The Pilots were not done. After a walk and a single aided by a costly Oregon error, Jonas Salk stepped in. The second baseman, who had been in a recent slump, blasted a three-run homer to center field off Michael Meckna, capping the seven-run frame and putting the game out of reach at 13-9. Salk’s homer was his second key hit against Oregon in a week, following a two-run homer in Portland’s 3-0 win on March 31.

Oregon’s bullpen, which had seen effective work from Tanner Bradley, Toby Twist and Cooper Strawn — who combined for four scoreless innings with five strikeouts — faltered in the seventh. Morgan and Meckna were charged with all seven runs in the inning.

The Ducks out-hit the Pilots 13-10 but grounded into three double plays and had two runners caught stealing. Smith led Oregon with four RBIs on his home run and a later RBI single. Jaksa also had three hits.

For Portland, Nitowitz drove in three runs, while Katayama-Stall and Salk each had four RBIs. The Pilots’ patience paid off, drawing eight walks and being hit by three pitches.

With the win, Portland improved to 20-10 overall, while Oregon fell to 24-9. The victory avenged a shutout loss to the Ducks earlier in the season and provided a significant momentum boost as the Pilots head into West Coast Conference play this weekend at Gonzaga. Oregon returns home to face Nebraska in a three-game series starting Friday.

The result defied pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 6-5 Portland win, while its ELO system gave Oregon a 71.10 percent probability to win. The actual outcome proved far more explosive than either forecast.