Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO--The Gonzaga University baseball team got the offense rolling late Saturday, scoring 10 runs in the final four frames en route to a 10-2 victory over San Francisco at the Dons' Benedetti Diamond in San Francisco.

Redshirt freshman Jace VanDeBrake gave the Zags a lead in the sixth, leading off with his first career home run out to right field. Gonzaga added on two more in the frame with Sam Brown drawing a walk and coming in on a double from Jeff Bohling. Bohling himself scored on a single to right field for a 3-0 GU lead in the sixth.

In the bottom of the frame, the Dons got one back, but the Zag defense made sure it wasn't more. After the first two batters reached base with a single and a double, Aaron Ping hit a fly ball out to VanDeBrake in right field. The Bulldog caught the ball for the inning's first out and fired a strike into Jake Roberts at the plate, throwing out Nico Giarratano on the play. USF's run in the sixth came in on the next play, but they wouldn't get any more due to the double-up.

Both squads added another run in the seventh inning, and the Bulldogs kept adding on in the eighth. During that inning, Roberts drove a ball down the right field line for a double, scoring Dustin Breshears on the play, and VanDeBrake followed up with a single through the right side, allowing Roberts to come home. With two outs, the Zags then loaded the bases, but a strikeout from Taylor Jones ended the frame.

The Zags made up for those runners left on base in the ninth, plating four runs in the frame on one swing of the bat. Three of the first four batters in the frame reached base, and after a strikeout for the second out, VanDeBrake stepped up and sent a blast down the right field line for a grand slam, emptying the bases. The blast gave VanDeBrake four hits and six RBIs on the day.

Neither team scored in the game's first five innings, but it wasn't for lack of opportunities as both clubs saw multiple chances early. The Zags saw base runners in both the first and second innings but hit into double plays in each, and they left one in the fifth. San Francisco, meanwhile, left the bases full of runners in the third and left two on in the second. In that second inning, GU starter Eli Morgan faced runners on first and third with no out, but he struck out the next two batters and got the next Don to ground out. Morgan picked up the win, his sixth of the season.

Bulldog Bites:

• VanDeBrake's grand slam in the ninth inning was the first by a Bulldog in nearly six years: Clayton Eslick had the last four-run four-bagger for Gonzaga, that coming April 27, 2010, against Washington. The Yakima, Wash., native's six RBIs are also the most by a Bulldog since 2011 when Cameron Edman drove in six May 9, 2011, at BYU. VanDeBrake's four hits are also a personal best.
• The redshirt freshman's two home runs were the first two four-baggers of his career, but he isn't even the first Bulldog to hit his first two home runs in the same game this year. Senior Joey Harris hit both his first and second career homer March 26 at Saint Mary's. VanDeBrake joins Harris, Bohling, and Tyler Frost as multiple home runs on the year.
• Reliever Wyatt Mills saw his first action since April 2 Saturday afternoon, tossing 3.1 innings of one-run ball while striking out three. After entering the game in the bottom of the sixth with a one-run lead, he earned the save, his first of the year. In each of his last five outings he's pitched at least two innings, and he's gone three in the last three. He's now one of five Gonzaga pitchers with at least one save on the year.
• The Bulldogs erupted for 17 hits on the day, including five for extra bases. It's their seventh game with 15 or more hits on the year and seventh game with at least five extra-base-hits on the season. They entered this weekend's series at USF second in the West Coast Conference with 342 hits and tallied nine in game one of the series.

Mac Talk: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf:

• "Great day for Jace and a much needed spark to the offense. It was good to finally break through after a slow start. We're looking forward to a good Sunday battle."

Next Up: Gonzaga (21-11, 10-4 WCC) will look to take the series at San Francisco with the weekend rubber match on Sunday, April 17, again at Benedetti Diamond. The Zags have yet to determine a starter while San Francisco will send RHP James Kannenberg to the mound.