Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, Texas.--For the third time in the young 2016 season, Gonzaga's bats were scoring Friday night as the Zags once again scored double-digit runs in an 18-3 win over Texas Southern at Nelson Wolff Stadium in San Antonio.

Playing as the designated home team, the Zags wasted little time in taking the lead. Right fielder Sam Brown led the bottom of the first off with a walk, and he moved to third when designated hitter Patrick Chung singled to right center. Two batters later, they both advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch with Brown touching the plate for a Gonzaga run. The inning continued when Justin Jacobs reached base on a Texas Southern error, advancing Chung to third, and the redshirt freshman scored on a lineout by Jeff Bohling.

An inning later, Gonzaga blew the game open after sending all nine batters to the plate. The Zags scored six runs on five hits in the frame, headlined by an RBI double by Taylor Jones and a two-RBI triple from Bohling. Chung, Jacobs, and Tyler Frost added RBIs in the inning with Chung and Jacobs posting RBI-base knocks and Frost hitting a sacrifice fly to right field. Like Brown the inning before, short stop Dustin Breshears led off the frame with a walk.

The Zags added three more in the third inning after Breshears once again reached as the team's first batter. He doubled down the left field line and scored two batters later when Brown ripped a hit to right field. Chung continued the hit streak with a single through the right side, plating Branson Trube, and Bohling brought in yet another run with a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Brown.

Gonzaga starter Brandon Bailey began the game with three scoreless innings, striking out the side in the first and allowing just one hit in the first third of the game. In the fourth inning the Tigers broke through with a pair of runs, but Gonzaga got those back and more, plating three in the bottom of the frame with another big hit coming from Jones. He had two runners in scoring position when he sent a ball screaming into the gap in right center field, bringing both of them home.

Despite making numerous substitutions in the fifth and the sixth innings, the GU bats stayed hot in the sixth. Gonzaga scored four more in the frame after getting a leadoff single from Jarod Gonzales, who came around to score on a single up the middle from Bohling. Gonzaga then loaded the bases for Jack Krauel, who ripped a two-out, three-RBI double to left center field.

The Tigers scraped across one more run in the top of the eighth inning to put the score at 18-3, the game's final.

Bulldog Bites:

• The Bulldog offense continued to smack the ball, producing 18 runs against the Tigers. This is the third time already this year that Gonzaga has produced double-digit runs. They needed 17 games to accomplish the feat in 2015; Friday night's game was GU's fifth of 2016. After scoring 11 runs Feb. 21 at Grand Canyon, this is the first time Gonzaga has plated 10 or more runs in back-to-back games since May 25-26, 2012 at BYU. Then, they scored 13 and 17 runs, respectively.
• Bohling continued his tear to begin the year, going 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored, and five RBIs. The gaudy RBI total is a career high and most by any Zag since Mitchell Gunsolus also tallied five against Pacific May 9 of last season.
• Krauel made his collegiate debut for Gonzaga Friday night, going 1-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. All three of those runs driven in came on his sixth-inning double. His first ever collegiate at bat came in the fifth as a pinch hitter for Breshears.
• Bailey tossed 6.0 innings of two-run ball for Gonzaga's third consecutive quality start after getting two strong pitching performances in the final two games at Grand Canyon. It's his first of the season and 15th of his career after eight in 2015 as a sophomore and six in 2014 as a freshman.
• Friday's game was the first of the Alamo Irish Classic, a tournament hosted by Notre Dame in Nelson Wolff Stadium, home of the AA San Antonio Missions. This is Gonzaga's fourth appearance in the annual tournament after also appearing in the 2010, 2011, and 2014 iterations. It was the first time, however, Gonzaga had squared off against Texas Southern.

Mac Talk: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf

• "Right now the hitters are seeing the ball well and really staying with the plan of attack. Our offensive approach is not about getting hits but rather putting together as many quality at-bats as possible from start to finish. We were on task again tonight."

Next Up:

Gonzaga (3-2) continues the Alamo Irish Classic Saturday, Feb. 27 with a pair of games. The Bulldogs begin the day at 1:30 p.m. Pacific with a game against Bradley and follow up with a nightcap at 5:30 p.m. against Incarnate Word. Both games will again take place at Nelson Wolff Stadium. RHP Justin Vernia will take the hill against the Braves while fellow righty Hunter Wells will get his first start of the year versus Incarnate Word.