Gonzaga University
Pepperdine
PEP's Big Fourth Inning Dooms Playoff Chances
5/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score
MALIBU, Calif.—The Gonzaga University baseball squad saw its WCC Tournament hopes dashed Saturday afternoon, falling 17-3 at Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif.
With the loss, the Zags fall to 24-27 overall and 13-13 in West Coast Conference play. Loyola Marymount and BYU, currently tied for fourth in the WCC standings, each have 15 conference wins. With just one game left, the Zags cannot catch either club for a share of fourth.
The Zags broke onto the scoresheet first Saturday, getting one run in the second inning. Right fielder Justin Jacobs led the frame with a bloop single to left. Tyler Frost then moved him over to third with a double down the right field line. After a strikeout for the Zags' first out, Joey Harris sacrificed himself on a fly ball to left field. Jacobs scored on the play, but Frost was thrown out at third after trying to advance on a wild throw to third base to end the frame.
Pepperdine took the lead in the third inning, scoring four runs on five hits. The runs came on four consecutive plays, including RBI doubles from Brad Anderson and Brandon Caruso. Matt Gelalich added a single to score a run, and Aaron Barnett sacrificed himself out to right field for an RBI as well.
In the next frame, the Waves blew the game wide open, sending 15 batters to the plate and scoring 10 runs on nine hits. Caruso brought in two RBIs with a double, and Pepperdine posted four other RBI base knocks. The final blow in the fourth came from Chris Fornaci, who homered out to left field with the bases loaded. The home run came off relief pitcher Calvin LeBrun, but two of the runs that came in were billed to starter Brandon Bailey.
Gonzaga got a pair of runs back in the sixth. Taylor Jones singled to right field as the leadoff hitter, and Jacobs followed with another single to right field. A pinch hit walk from Caleb Wood loaded the bases for Harris, who picked up his second and third RBIs of the day with a single to center field.
The Waves tacked on single runs in the bottom of the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to put the score at 17-3, where the game ended.
Bulldog Bites
- Harris set a career high with three RBIs on the day, bringing in the Zags' run in the second with a sacrifice fly and hitting a two-RBI single in the sixth. His previous career high was two RBIs in a game, which he had accomplished three times previously. Additionally, Jacobs' three hits equaled his career best. The sophomore transfer has now posted five three-hit games this season, his first in a Gonzaga uniform.
- With two hits on the day, Gunsolus took the team lead with 21 multi-hit games this season. The senior has collected at least one hit in 38 games, meaning he's collected multiple hits in over half of the games he's tallied at least one. Gunsolus is riding a 10-game hit streak dating back to April 26 at Santa Clara, during which he's hit .452 (19x42) with 11 runs scored, 11 RBIs, three doubles, three home runs, and seven walks.
- A few relief pitchers saw some game action Saturday afternoon. Gage Burland came out to pitch the sixth inning. The freshman allowed one run, struck one batter out, and walked two. Redshirt senior Derek Peterson worked the seventh and eighth innings, allowing two runs on one hit with one strikeout.
Next Up
Gonzaga will wrap up the 2015 season with game three of the series in Malibu. First pitch for that game against Pepperdine is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., again at Eddy D. Field Stadium. Neither team has announced a starter for that contest.
