Gonzaga University
Washington
Ninth-Inning UW Rally Hands Bulldogs One-Run Loss
2/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 21, 2010
TUCSON, Ariz. - Gonzaga University allowed three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to suffer a 10-9 defeat to the University of Washington on the final day of the Cactus Classic at Tucson Electric Park Sunday afternoon.
The Bulldogs (2-1) took a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the ninth before the Huskies (2-1) used four hits to score three runs off of Zags reliever Liam Baron to hand GU its first loss of the young season. UW started the final frame with a triple, followed by an RBI single to cut it to 9-8. Baron then got a strikeout but the next batter doubled to bring the tying run across. Baron got the next batter to ground out to Brian Yardley at third base but UW pinch-hitter Doug Cherry followed with a two-out RBI single to right centerfield to complete the comeback and hand GU a 10-9 loss.
It was all Gonzaga in the early innings, just as they had in the previous two games, putting up a couple big innings to build a 9-4 lead. The Zags jumped on their in-state rivals for four runs in the first inning as Drew Heid led off the game with a single and Chris Sturdivant followed with a walk. With two runners on Andy Hunter put GU on the board with a two-run double to left center. One batter later, Royce Bolinger doubled in Hunter and the very next batter Sean Wilson hit his own RBI double to bring Bolinger across and give Gonzaga a 4-0 advantage.
Bulldog starting pitcher Ryan Carpenter struck out two Huskie hitters in the first inning but saw UW tie the game at 4-4 with four runs in the second inning. The Gonzaga bats awoke again in the fourth inning as Ernesto Ortiz started the inning off with a base-hit and came around to score on Clayton Eslick's RBI double. Cameron Edman earned a walk and Heid then reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Sturdivant hit into a fielder's choice with Eslick getting forced out at home on the play but the Zags still had the bases loaded. Hunter, the Bulldogs designated hitter then stepped to plate and hammered a grand slam over the left centerfield fence for his first career homer, pushing the Zags lead to 9-4.
Carpenter settled down after the UW runs came across in the second, retiring the Huskies in order three times and not allowing a hit in his final four innings of work. He gave way to the Zags bullpen in the seventh and the Huskies began to chip away, scoring two in seventh, one in the eighth before putting up three in the ninth to cap the comeback.
Baron took the loss after allowing the three runs in the final frame. Carpenter finished with three strikeouts and allowed just four hits and four runs in his six-inning start. Hunter led the way with three hits and six RBI while Heid added two hits and two runs scored.
Gonzaga will return to Arizona next weekend to face the University of Kansas and Sacramento State University each twice at the Peoria Spring Training Classic held at the San Diego Padres spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz.
