March 18, 2016 Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash.-The Gonzaga University baseball team finally opened the 2016 home schedule Friday night, winning the extra-innings contest against Pepperdine 4-3 and in wild fashion at Patterson Baseball Complex & Washington Trust Field.
Gonzaga got the walk-off win in the bottom of the 11th inning on, of all things, a third strike passed ball. With Jake Roberts on third base, right fielder Sam Brown swung at strike three for what would have been out three, but the ball got past Pepperdine catcher Aaron Barnett. Roberts, pinch running for Joey Harris, streaked home for the winning run while Brown beat out Barnett's throw to first, confirming the extra-innings win for Gonzaga. Two batters before all the excitement, Harris blooped a one-out double into left field and immediately got replaced by Roberts. The junior transfer took third on a wild pitch during center fielder Branson Trube's at bat.
Before the walk-off, the Bulldogs found themselves in extra innings after Pepperdine scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning. Leadoff hitters Brad Anderson and Jordan Qsar reached base with base hits off GU reliever Justin Vernia, who came on in the top of the eighth inning. Anderson came around to score on an RBI single from Manny Jefferson, and Jefferson scored the tying run on a groundout by Chase Lambert
Gonzaga scored the game's first two runs, plating both in the third. With one out, First baseman Taylor Jones drew a walk and right fielder Justin Jacobs moved him up 90 feet with a single to right center. In the next at bat, Jeff Bohling grounded into a fielder's choice to Anderson at first, but a throwing error by the Pepperdine first baseman allowed Jacobs to remain on base - advancing to third, even - and Jones to score from third. Left fielder Tyler Frost then brought in Jacobs with a grounder. Pepperdine got one back in the fifth inning, and the Zags added another in the seventh on a failed pickoff and throwing error by Pepperdine reliever Evan Dunn. That throw that sailed into the GU bullpen along the first base line and allowed Brown to score from third. He got to third by reaching on a single and moving over on a sacrifice bunt and wild pitch.
Bulldog Bites:
- This is Gonzaga's first extra-innings win since April 12, 2014, when they beat Santa Clara 2-1. During that contest, then-freshman Nick Brooks ripped a game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th to score Mitchell Gunsolus from third base. Brooks' base knock also represents the Zags' last walk-off hit.
- Lost in the late-inning excitement was another gem of a start by GU right hander Brandon Bailey. The junior from Broomfield, Colo., posted his fourth consecutive quality start, throwing 7.0 innings while holding the Waves to just that one run in the fifth. Bailey struck out nine batters Friday night, equaling his season high and coming within one of his career high, which he set March 6, 2015 at Tulane.
- Reliever Sam Hellinger picked up his second win of the season after throwing 2.1 innings of scoreless relief at the end of the game. Hellinger entered the game in the bottom of the ninth and got the final out of the inning and then retired the side in the top of the 10th. The Waves got a two-out hit off Hellinger in the 11th, but that was it as he lowered his ERA 1.28 points on the night. He leads the Zags' bullpen with 14.2 innings pitched and 12 strikeouts in relief appearances.
- Friday's game was not only the first conference game of the season, but the Zags' first home game after beginning the year on the road for 15 games.
Next Up:
The Bulldogs (10-6, 1-0 WCC) and Pepperdine will play game two of the three game set Saturday, March 19. First pitch for that contest is set for 6:00 p.m., again at Patterson Baseball Complex & Washington Trust Field. RHP Hunter Wells will take the mound for the Bulldogs while the Waves are slated to counter with RHP Kiko Garcia.
