Gonzaga University
Saint Mary's
Sterling Pitching, Patient Bats Push Zags over Gaels
4/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash.—The Gonzaga University baseball team was locked in a pitchers' duel with Saint Mary's through six innings Friday night, but GU right hander Andrew Sopko won the duel as the Bulldog offense persevered for seven runs and a 7-0 win at Patterson Baseball Complex & Washington Trust Field in Spokane.
Sopko pitched masterfully in his first career Friday night start, going 8.0 innings with eight strikeouts while allowing two hits, the lowest allowed in a start of 3.0 or more innings by any GU pitcher. The junior allowed just one base runner in each of the first three innings, and he retired his final 16 Gael batters faced, sitting down Saint Mary's from the the final out in the third through the eighth inning. With the eight scoreless innings, he lowered his season ERA to 2.05, which would remain sixth-best in the West Coast Conference entering Friday.
Saint Mary's starter Corbin Burnes also held down the GU offense early, but the Zags scratched across the first run of the game in the sixth inning. Sam Brown drew a one-out walk in the frame, and he came around to score on an RBI double from third baseman Mitchell Gunsolus.
The Zags got three more runs off the starter in the seventh. Justin Jacobs led the frame off with a walk and was replaced in favor of pinch runner Branson Trube. Next, Cory LeBrun singled out to right field, allowing Trube to take third. Both runners came in to score in the next at bat when Tyler Frost ripped a double down the right field line and took third when Saint Mary's right fielder Davis Strong misplayed the ball. The error also allowed LeBrun to scamper home as well. Billy Oxford came in to replace Burnes, and GU catcher Joey Harris welcomed the reliever with a sacrifice fly out to right center, bringing Frost in for the third run of the inning.
Gonzaga got three more runs in the eighth, two of them coming on a blast from Taylor Jones. The junior first baseman crushed a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence to plate Gunsolus, who reached with a double in the plate appearance before. Frost picked up his second RBI of the game later in the frame when he hit a sacrifice fly to right center, allowing Trube to score.
In the ninth, Wyatt Mills came in in relief of Sopko, allowing two hits but erasing one of those baserunners with a double play. He also prevented both base runners from advancing past first base.
Bulldog Bites
- Sopko's two hits allowed is the fewest allowed by a GU starter in a start that lasted more than 3.0 innings this year, but it's also the junior's fewest allowed ever in a start. His previous low was three hits, which came April 13, 2014 against Santa Clara. He equaled a season high with 8.0 innings pitched Friday night (also: March 14 versus San Francisco), and his eight strikeouts was the second-most on the year.
- Jones bashed his second home run of the year and third of his career Friday. He's one of four Zags with multiple home runs on the year, and his 17 RBIs are second-most on the squad. The first baseman has elevated his game in conference play, hitting .486 (18x37) with three doubles, one home run, and nine RBIs. His batting average and .649 slugging percentage top the team in WCC action, and his WCC on base percentage of .486 is second.
- Frost picked up his third multi-RBI game of the year, bringing in one run in each of the seventh and eighth innings. At 15 RBIs total, the freshman is one of six Zags with double-digit RBIs on the year.
Zag Speak - Thoughts on the game from GU coaches and players
Associate Head Coach Danny Evans
"That's Friday night in the WCC. Burnes two-hit LMU, which is a good-hitting ball club, and we had a challenge tonight. Good thing we also had a tough one tonight."
"We had to adjust at the plate to all the change-ups Burnes threw. We turned it around in terms of quality at-bats late in the game. Good teams may get stymied a little bit the first time through or second time through, but you have to make an adjustment, and the guys did a really good job of that."
Junior RHP Andrew Sopko
"It was exciting to get my first Friday night start. That showed a little bit at the beginning but then I settled down and threw well."
Next Up
Gonzaga (16-17, 6-7 WCC) and Saint Mary's (19-14, 6-7 WCC) will meet for game two of the West Coast Conference series Saturday, April 11, at 6:00 p.m. RHP Hunter Wells will get the nod for Gonzaga while LHP Johnny York takes the mound for Saint Mary's. That game will also be broadcast locally on SWX with Greg Talbott and Michael Jackson on the call.
