March 13, 2009
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. - The Gonzaga University baseball team took both games of a doubleheader with Utah Valley University Friday. The Bulldogs improved their record to 9-5 with an 8-3 win in game one and a 10-5 victory in game two over the Wolverines (5-9).
Senior first baseman Ryan Wiegand finished the day with five RBI and senior lead-off hitter Evan Wells scored four runs and stole two bases in the Zags two wins.
In the opener, freshman Royce Bolinger's pinch hit two-run single broke a 3-3 tie in the sixth inning and sparked a four-run inning for the Zags. After the Bulldogs loaded the bases with no outs, Bolinger came off bench and lined the first pitch he saw back up the middle to score two runs and put Gonzaga up 5-3. The Bulldogs added two more runs later in the inning after Utah Valley reliever Kyle Beecher hit two batters and walked another to put the Bulldogs up 7-3 after six complete innings.
The Zags had jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run double by Wiegand and a two-out RBI single by senior designated hitter Anthony Synegal.
Utah Valley later tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth inning after stringing together four hits off of Gonzaga senior starter Matt Fields.
That was the lone hick-up for Fields (1-1) as he attacked UVU hitters throughout the afternoon. He retired five of the eight lead off hitters of each inning he faced and finished with six strikeouts to record his first win of the season. After Fields allowed a one-out double in the eighth, freshman Andy Hunter came in from the bullpen and struck out four of the five batters he faced to preserve an 8-3 win for the Zags.
In game two the Bulldogs rallied back from a 4-0 deficit to take a 5-4 lead with a four-run sixth inning. After allowing four Utah Valley runs to cross in the first inning, Gonzaga got a run in the first on a Wiegand sacrifice fly that scored Wells. In the sixth, the Zags pushed across four runs to take the lead 5-4 after getting RBI singles from Heid, Wiegand and Synegal along with an RBI-triple by senior left fielder Mark Castellitto. Castellitto's triple to dead center field tied the game at 4-4 before Synegal singled him home a batter later to make it 5-4.
Utah Valley tied the game at 5-5 with a sole home run but the Gonzaga offense came right back to put the game away in the seventh, sending eight men to the plate and scoring five runs in the inning. Wiegand's RBI base-hit through the left side scored Wells for what proved to be the game-winner. Senior third baseman Jason Chatwood and Bolinger each picked up RBI's in the inning and two more runs came across on two Utah Valley errors.
Junior Jacob Hiatt relieved Bulldog sophomore starting pitcher Cody Martin with two outs in the seventh inning, after Martin had allowed a game-tying home run to UVU's Chris Benson. Hiatt (1-1) fired 1.1 innings of scoreless relief to pick up his first win. Martin battled through 6.2 innings, scattering eight hits, allowing just one earned run and finished with eight strikeouts.
Gonzaga and Utah Valley will attempt to wrap up their four-game series with another doubleheader Saturday set to begin at Noon. The two teams agreed before the start of Friday's game to play two games today with the threat of rain and/or snow in the Sunday's forecast.
