Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash.--With a strong showing all around the diamond, the Gonzaga Univeristy baseball team picked up a series win against Pepperdine with an 11-4 win over the Waves Sunday at Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field.

The Bulldogs' bats got to work early, collecting two runs on five hits in the first inning. Right fielder Sam Brown led the frame off with a single to left field and stole second base, moving into scoring position. Designated hitter Patrick Chung also reached with a base knock up the middle, allowing Brown to come home for the first run of the game. The Zags then loaded the bases for short stop Dustin Breshears, who drove a liner into left field to bring Chung home.

The Zags gave starter Eli Morgan a bigger cushion in the fifth, plating three on one swing of the bat. Chung drew a leadoff walk, chasing Pepperdine starter Easton Lucas from the game. First baseman Taylor Jones also reached when he was hit by a pitch from reliever Jonathan Pendergast, and Justin Jacobs replaced Chung when he bunted into a fielder's choice. Third baseman Jeff Bohling then stepped to the plate and crushed a pitch from Pendergast over the wall in right for a three-run home run, his third of the year.

On the mound, Morgan found a grove early, retiring 12 consecutive batters between the second and the fifth innings. In the sixth, the Waves drew a walk and consecutive singles to get a run off the sophomore, but Morgan then struck out the next three batters to get out of the frame. In the seventh, they got two more off three hits, including a two-run home run to left field, but Morgan got out of the frame with a double play, ending his day on the mound.

Once the Waves come within two at 5-3, the Zags broke the game open with four runs in the seventh. The first six batters reached base in the frame, led off by a double from Jones, who came around to score on a single from Jacobs. Breshears drew a walk with the bases loaded for his second RBI on the day, and both Tyler Frost and Brown added RBI singles in the inning. They continued in the eighth with two more runs; after Bohling reached on a single and Joey Harris was hit by a pitch, Frost brought both home with a double down the left field line.

The Waves added one more for themselves with a solo home run in the ninth, but the Zags closed out the game, winning 11-4.

Bulldog Bites:

• Bohling had another strong day, tallying four hits, two for extra bases, and three runs scored and three RBIs. Those four hits are a career high, and he also set a career mark for RBIs in a season with 18; he brought home 15 runners last year. Previously this season, he set a personal best in runs scored, and he's just one hit away from his high in hits. Overall, Bohling's hitting .395 with 30 hits, six doubles, a triple, and three home runs. He leads the team in batting average, hits, home runs, and with a .618 slugging percentage.
• Morgan also had a strong day, turning in his third quality start of the year by tossing 7.0 innings and allowing three runs. He also fanned a career-high 10 batters, the most by a Bulldog this season. Two of Morgan's eight collegiate starts have come against the Waves, and he's 1-0 with a 3.07 ERA in those games; the Ranchos Palos Verde, Calif., native has also fanned 15 Waves in 14.2 innings. On Sunday, he and reliever Justin Vernia combined to strike out 13 Wave batters, one off the club's season high. Bulldog pitchers have combined to strike out 10 or more batters in eight games this year.
• In addition to Bohling, three more Zags saw multi-hit games on the day. Brown collected three base knocks, including one double, while adding a run scored and an RBI. Jacobs posted two hits and score two runs on the day, also bringing in a teammate for a run. Frost, meanwhile, equaled Bohling's three RBIs with two hits - one double - and a walk. Bohling leads the team with 10 multi-hit games while Brown's one back at nine. Jones and Frost are tied with seven. Gonzaga entered the series ranked second in the WCC and 15^th in Division I with 181 hits, and they added 31 in three games against the Waves.

Zag Speak:

Associate Head Coach Danny Evans:

• "To come out and play better baseball all the way around - pitched better, hit better - I'm very pleased with the turnout today. Any time we can get a series win on Sunday...it's huge."
• "Morgan's had two really good outings, and this was more of who he is. It was good to see him go back-to-back outings. To get him rolling will be huge heading into conference play for us."

Infielder Jeff Bohling:

• "I was looking for my pitch all day, and I was getting it most of the time. I was getting lucky and hitting hard line drives that were getting through. I was looking to hit the ball hard today and I was seeing it well.

Next Up:

Gonzaga (11-7, 2-1 WCC) returns to the road for six games: three conference and three non-conference. The first of that stretch is Tuesday, March 22, down the road in Pullman, Wash. The contest at Washington State starts at 5:00 p.m. at Bailey-Brayton Field.