Gonzaga University
Washington State
Zags Rally For 14-12 Win Over WSU
3/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2005
PULLMAN, Wash. - The Gonzaga University baseball team (16-9) scored 13 unanswered runs to rally for a 14-12 extra innings win over Pacific Northwest rival Washington State University (15-14) on a cold and windy Tuesday night at Bailey-Brayton Field.
Gonzaga scored the winning run in the top of the tenth inning on one of the strangest plays of the season. Following a single to left by Darin Holcomb to load the bases, the Cougars attempted a hidden ball trick. On the relay off of the single, Cougar third baseman Zach McAngus held onto the ball. Once the next batter stepped up to the plate, WSU pitcher Steve Kost faked a throw to third. McAngus then revealed that he had the ball and tagged Will Ayala, who was leading off the bag. Following deliberation by the umpires, it was ruled that Kost committed a balk, scoring Ayala for the winning run. The Zags would add an insurance run on a sacrifice fly to right field by Aaron McGuinness to score Nick Merriman.
After being held to three runs in the first seven innings, and the temperature dropping into the mid to low 30's, the Zags bats became red hot as GU sent 10 batters to the plate in the eighth inning, scoring six runs on four hits. With two outs, the runs were surrendered on a wild pitch to score McGuinness, a three-run homer by Bobby Carlson and RBI singles by McGuinness and Kiel Thibault. The Bulldogs scored three more runs in the top of the ninth inning to force extra innings. Two of the three runs were forced in on bases-load walks, with the other run coming home when Carlson was hit-by-a-pitch.
Carlson led the Bulldogs offense going 2-for-4 with five RBI, two runs scored, one home run and one double. Will Ayala also had a big day for GU as he went 4-for-6 with two runs scored.
WSU sent 10 pitchers to the mound in the game with the ninth pitcher for the Cougars, Grant Alexander (0-1) taking the loss, after entering the game in the ninth inning in a bases-loaded situation. Gonzaga reliever Nate Williams (1-0) earned his first win of the season, allowing one hit and no runs over the final three innings of the game.
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Friday afternoon as they resume their West Coast Conference play against the University of San Diego in a 2 p.m. game in San Diego, Calif.
