Feb. 19, 2016

Box Score

PHOENIX, Ariz.--It began as a pitching duel, but a tough bottom of the seventh inning broke open Gonzaga University baseball's 2016 opener Friday night as the Zags lost 7-1 to Grand Canyon at Brazell Stadium in Phoenix.

Gonzaga saw the game's first scoring chance in the top of the third inning when leadoff hitter Branson Trube drew a walk, giving the Zags an immediate base runner. Trube moved to second on a sacrifice hit from Dustin Breshears and then took third on an infield single from designated hitter Patrick Chung. First baseman Taylor Jones struck out to end the threat, however.

Grand Canyon saw its own opportunity in the bottom of the third, but a solid defense worked Gonzaga out of the inning. The inning started when GU right fielder Sam Brown made a diving catch in right center field, stealing an extra-base hit from Krysthian Leal. Starting pitcher Brandon Bailey then struck out Ben Mauseth, but the `Lope hitter reached on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Thomas Lerouge singled to right field, moving Mauseth to third, but the Zags got out of the inning when third baseman Jeff Bohling collected a deep grounder and threw out Paul Panaccione at first.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Antelopes took a 1-0 lead. Panaccione hit a two-out double to right field and moved over to third on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Brandon Smith singled to center field, plating Panaccione for the go-ahead run. Bailey then got out of the inning by getting a fly out to right.

In the top of the seventh, Brown evened up the game at one by sending a hanging fastball from Grand Canyon reliever Brick Paskiewicz over the right field fence. In the next at bat, Chung continued the Zags' two-out rally by drawing a walk. The redshirt freshman took second on a balk from Paskiewicz, but the `Lopes got out of the inning before Gonzaga could do any more damage.

Grand Canyon countered with five of their own in the bottom of the frame. The home squad loaded the bases with two hits and an intentional walk. With one out, redshirt freshman Daniel Bies made his collegiate debut and struck out Smith, but fellow relief pitcher Trent Schulte walked the next two batters to give Grand Canyon a two-run lead. Leal followed up with a two RBI single to right field, and Mauseth added another with a double to left. The freshman then retired the next batter and got out of the inning.

The Antelopes scored one more, getting a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Gonzaga earned a pair of runners in the ninth with a double from pinch hitter Nick Brooks and a walk from Breshears, but GCU held on for the 7-1 win.

Bulldog Bites:

• Bailey made his third Opening Day start, also throwing the first pitches of the 2014 and 2015 seasons. On Friday night, he went 5.0 innings, allowing just one run and striking out seven GCU batters. Over the course of his three Opening Day starts, he's tallied a 2.12 ERA, tossing 17.0 innings and striking out 19 batters while allowing only four earned runs.
• With his seventh-inning home run, Brown equaled his season total in dingers from a year ago. In 2015 he homered March 16 versus San Francisco, and as a redshirt freshman in 2014 he went yard against Washington State, again at home.
• Six Zags made their Gonzaga debut Friday night, including all five relief pitchers used. Chung earned a start as designated hitter, going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and a walk during his first collegiate game. Bies, Schulte, Sam Hellinger, Eli Thornquist, and Justin Blatner, meanwhile, made their Division I debuts with appearances out of the bullpen. Hellinger spent two years in junior college while Thornquist spent one at Division II institution Sioux Falls and one at Lamar Community College. Bies and Blatner both redshirted the 2015 season, their true freshman years, and Schulte is a true freshman, having graduated from Bainbridge High School in 2015.

Mac Talk: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf

• "For the most part we were on task, and there were a lot of good things happening prior to the one rough inning we had in the seventh. Bailey had a very strong start and the offense hit a lot of balls hard; it easily could have been a 14- or 15-hit night. We just need to fine-tune a couple of things and get back at it tomorrow."
• "It felt great to get back out there and compete. This group has some special makeup and we look forward to a great year."

Next Up: Gonzaga (0-1) and Grand Canyon will play two on the second day on the 2016 season, beginning a doubleheader at 11:00 a.m. Pacific, again at Brazell Stadium. LHP Calvin LeBrun will take the mound in the morning for Gonzaga while the `Lopes counter with lefty Ethan Evanko. Junior college transfer and RHP Justin Vernia will make his Division I debut in the afternoon for the Zags, going against GCU's southpaw Jake Repavich.