Gonzaga University
Portland
Gonzaga Loses Early Lead But Bounces Back To Beat Pilots
5/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 14, 2011
PORTLAND, Ore. - Mark Phillips pitched four shutout innings of relief and Marco Gonzales went 3-for-4 as the Gonzaga University baseball team defeated the University of Portland 7-5 in game two of a three-game West Coast Conference series Saturday.
Phillips (2-3) came into the game in the fourth inning after starter Tyler Olson went 3 2/3 innings and allowing five runs. Phillips allowed three hits and along with Olson he struck out four. Cody Martin, who picked up his ninth save Friday, earned his 10th after going 1 1/3 innings of work.
Gonzales recorded three singles and a RBI while Cameron Edman registered a pair of doubles and drove in three runs. Billy Moon also had two hits and a RBI.
Portland starter Owen Jones (4-6) suffered the loss after allowing all seven runs in 6 2/3 innings of work.
The Bulldogs got the game started with Eric Lane and Tyler Chism both reaching on fielding errors by the third baseman. Moon and Edman punished the Pilots with an RBI single and a two-run double to left field, respectively. Gonzales hit a two-out RBI single to the second baseman to give the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead.
After retiring the first two batters in the third inning, Olson loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch, a single and a walk. He walked in the Pilots first run of the game and a two-run single through the left side to tie the game 4-4.
The Pilots took a 5-4 lead in the fourth inning with a one-out double followed by a two-out RBI single to left field.
In the Bulldogs half of the sixth, Clayton Eslick hit a one-out single to center field and Gonzales followed with a single to right field but a fielding error by the right fielder allowed Eslick to score the tying run.
Chism led off the seventh inning with a double down the left field line. After advancing to third on Moon's ground out to the first baseman, Edman drove in the go-ahead run with a double to left field. The Bulldogs cashed in an insurance run with back-to-back two-out singles by Eslick and Gonzales.
Martin inherited runners on first and second with two out in the eighth inning. He got out of the threat with fly foul out to Gonzales at first base. He would retire the Pilots in order in the ninth inning to secure the Bulldogs win.
The Bulldogs will go for the sweep Sunday at 1 p.m. Gonzales is slated to make his 13th start of the season.
