Feb. 20, 2009
Box Score
PHOENIX, Ariz. - The Gonzaga University baseball team dropped its season-opener 7-4 to the University of Nevada at the Grand Canyon Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. Friday afternoon. Bulldog senior starting pitcher Matt Fields was outstanding in his first start of the season, firing seven scoreless innings and striking out eight but Nevada rallied against the GU bullpen, scoring seven runs in the final two innings to pick up the win.
Gonzaga (0-1) was led by senior first baseman Ryan Wiegand and junior centerfielder Drew Heid who each recorded two hits on the day. Senior second basemen Evan Wells scored two runs and reached base four times from his lead-off spot for the Zags.
The Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead on Heid's first inning double play groundout that scored Wells from third. The Zags added another run in the third on junior leftfielder Mark Castellitto's two-out RBI double to left center that scored junior catcher Tyson Van Winkle who had reached on a walk prior to Castellitto. Wells scored Gonzaga's third run of the ball game on senior first baseman Ryan Wiegand's RBI groundout in the sixth.
Up 3-0 through six, senior starting pitcher Matt Fields continued his dominance of the Wolfpack hitters, allowing just two baserunners in his final five innings of work before giving way to the Bulldog bullpen to start the eighth.
With Fields' night done, the Nevada offense put together some swings to start the eighth and eventually put runners on with the top of their order coming to the plate. With runners on first and third and one out, Nevada designated hitter Brock Stassi jumped on a Gonzaga senior reliever C.J. McClure pitch, hitting a three-run home run to left field to tie the game at 3-3.
Gonzaga answered in their half of the eighth as senior third baseman Jason Chatwood led off the inning with a walk and Heid then reached on an infield single to put runners on first and second for the middle of the order. Nevada got four-hole hitter Wiegand to pop up to right center but Van Winkle came through with an RBI double down the right field line, scoring Chatwood to regain the lead 4-3.
In the ninth, the Nevada offense again got to the Bulldog bullpen, scoring four runs off of junior reliever Jacob Hiatt to open up a 7-4 lead. The big blow came from UNR lead-off hitter Kevin Rodland's three-run home run to put Nevada up for good.
UNR reliever Sammy Miller held the Zags scoreless in the ninth to close out the win for the Wolfpack. Miller (1-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings of work and Hiatt (0-1) suffered the loss for the Bulldogs.
Wiegand's two hits moved him in 10th place on Gonzaga's all-time hit list with 216 career hits. His double in the first inning moved him into sole possession of seventh place on the Bulldogs all-time career double list, breaking a tie with Barry Mathews, Wiegand now has 47 career two-baggers. His RBI groundout in the sixth was his 153rd career RBI, breaking a sixth place tie with Don Lyons on Gonzaga's career RBI chart.
Gonzaga continues play at the Grand Canyon Classic with two games on Saturday. First matching up with preseason #10 ranked University of Missouri at 2 p.m. (PST) and then facing Nevada at 6 p.m. (PST).
