The Red Riots got the pitching they needed. The big hits, however, just weren’t there.

South Portland fell to Portland 2-1 on the road on Monday afternoon in SMAA baseball action at Deering Oaks. Both starting pitchers worked complete games, with Portland’s Brian Furey allowing four hits and walking none while South Portland’s Jon Medici pitched a five hitter, walking only one.

“Both pitchers pitched very well,” said South Portland coach Tony DiBiase, whose team dropped to 8-7 while the Bulldogs improved to 8-7. “We’ve just got to find a way to get some runs. We had a couple chances and we didn’t come through.”

The game, originally scheduled for May 28, but twice postponed due to rain, lasted only an hour and 20 minutes as baserunners were scarce and both hurlers worked quickly and efficiently.

Portland took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Greg Leborgne walked, went to third on Adam Gould’s double and scored on Eli Cough’s sacrifice fly.

The Riots knotted the score in the fourth on Zach Horton’s solo homer that cleared the high fence in right field near the 313-foot marker. South Portland had only two baserunners the rest of the way and neither reached second base.

The Bulldogs scored the game winning run in the fifth as Cough, the No. 8 hitter, led off with a double, he then was doubled home by Pete Olafsen, the No. 9 batter. Portland got four of its hits – and both runs and RBI – out of the bottom four hitters in the order. The only hit Medici allowed to the top five hitters was an infield single to Furey.

Mike Foley doubled in the second inning for South Portland. Horton, the game’s only repeat hitter, singled to lead off the seventh, but Furey got two pop ups and a strikeout to end the game. He finished with eight Ks while Medici struck out three.

“We usually see every team’s No. 1 pitcher,” DiBiase said. “Furey pitched a great game today. We weren’t as aggressive with the bats as I had hoped.”

The Riots were without Jon DiBiase, who is out for the rest of the season after breaking a finger in a game against Thornton Academy. He was hitting .410 when he went down. They were also without usual starter Paul Reny, who is also injured, but may return to action.

“That’s two bats,” Tony DiBiase said. “We’ve lost quite a bit offensively with injuries, but we’re still competing.”

South Portland was scheduled to wrap up the regular season Tuesday against Scarborough in a game played after this edition’s deadline.

The Riots, eighth in the latest Heal Point standings, appear to be a lock for the Class A West tournament. Whether or not they host their opening game likely hinges on the outcome against Scarborough.

All but one of South Portland’s losses have been by three runs or less. Half their wins have also been in games decided by three runs or less.

“It has been an interesting year in that way,” Tony DiBiase said. As he sees it, there isn’t much separating the teams that will enter the playoffs as the four through 11 seeds.

“We’re all about the same,” he said. “Maybe we can regroup, get our bats going, stay solid with pitching and defense, and come up with a couple wins.”