Box Score | Highlights
SPOKANE, Wash.—Despite a furious ninth-inning rally, the Gonzaga University baseball team fell to BYU 6-5 Thursday night in the opening game of a three-game series against the Cougars at Patterson Baseball Complex & Washington Trust Field in Spokane.
Down 6-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, the Zags tried valiantly to tie the game and force extra innings. Mitchell Gunsolus led the frame off with a double down the left field line, and after a strikeout, Sam Brown and Cory LeBrun reached base safely to load the bases. The next two GU hitters, Cory LeBrun and Jeff Bohling each hit RBI singles to keep the bases juiced, and two batters later Tyler Frost brought in two more with a single up the middle that hopped over BYU second baseman Tanner Chauncey's glove. The base knock brought Lucas Gately up to the plate with two out and the tying run in scoring position, but the sophomore catcher struck out to end the game, halting Gonzaga's rally agonizingly short.
BYU plated the first two runs of the game in the second inning. Colton Shaver led the frame off with a double to left center, and two batters later, Eric Urry doubled to right, bringing in the leadoff runner. Urry, who took third on a throw to the plate. Urry later scored when Brennon Lund reached base on a fielding error by GU first baseman LeBrun.
The visitors loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the third, but relief pitcher Hunter Wells got the Zags out relatively unscathed, allowing just one of those runners score. BYU scored on a sacrifice fly to center field from Parker Starr, plating the leadoff batter Chauncey. Wells then got Urry to strike out swinging and Jarrett Jarvis to ground into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Gonzaga got one back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Frost led the frame off with a single to first base, and Joey Harris also reached by after getting hit by a pitch. Two batters later, the Zags loaded the bases when Dustin Breshears got hit by pitch as well. Brown, the three-hole hitter, brought in the lead runner with a single through the right side, keeping the bases loaded. In the next at bat, LeBrun hit a grounder to Starr, BYU's third baseman, who threw Harris out at home plate. Gonzaga's rally ended in the next at bat when Jacobs grounded out to first base.
The Cougars got the run back in the top of the seventh, getting any team's first run of the year off Wells. Lund walked to begin the inning and moved to second a batter later on a stolen base. The center fielder moved to third when Chauncey reached on an error by Wells, and he scored in the next at bat on a wild pitch. They also scored two more off Wyatt Mills in the top of the ninth inning, a pair of runs that proved to be crucial in the 6-5 game.
Bulldog Bites
- After tonight's four runs in the ninth inning, Gonzaga is outscoring its opponents 22-4 in the ninth inning in 2015. This wasn't the first time GU has scored multiple runs in the first time in an effort to come back from a deficit. They also plated four runs in the ninth inning Feb. 27 versus Bakersfield, cutting the Runners' lead to 6-4. The Bulldogs had the tying runner at the plate when that contest ended.
- Despite the run Wells gave up in the seventh inning, he still is one of two Zag relievers that haven't allowed an earned run on the year. The sophomore transfer from Lower Columbia College has pitched 11.2 innings - 5.0 of which came Thursday - and allowed just the one unearned run while fanning 13 batters. That total is the second most in the Zags' bullpen. Opponents are hitting a miniscule .029 against him, and he did not allow a hit against BYU. His 5.0 innings pitched and seven strikeouts are also season highs.
- Frost had a solid day at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two hits, two RBIs, and a run scored. It was his seventh multi-hit game, tying the freshman for fourth most on the squad. He did post his first career multi-RBI game.
Zag Speak - thoughts from Associate Head Coach Danny Evans
Overall thoughts
"It's a little frustrating. We were slow to start, but it was encouraging at the end. That's what we want to see out of our team; to battle and not give up. But we need to do a bit better job earlier just making defensive plays. Two miscues lead to two runs and that's the ballgame."
On the offensive rally in the 9th
"That's what we pride ourselves on; battling ‘til the last out. Obviously we had a chance to walk somebody off there and fell a little bit short, but we're proud of them. We're proud of the effort they showed."
Next Up
Gonzaga (10-11) and BYU will play the second game of their series Friday, March 20, with first pitch again scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Patterson Baseball Complex. RHP Brandon Bailey is slated to take the mound for the Bulldogs while the Cougars are scheduled to start Jeff Barker.
