April 2, 2016 Box Score
STOCKTON, Calif.--It didn't come quite as early as expected, but the Gonzaga baseball team did put away Pacific Friday night, scoring three in the 11th inning to down the Tigers 5-3 at Klein Family Field in Stockton.
The Bulldogs thought they had the winning run in the top of the 10th when catcher Jake Roberts homered out to left field for a 2-1 lead. Pacific battled back to tie the game and force an 11th inning with an RBI single from Gio Brusa to score JJ Wagner, who reached on a catcher's interference.
In that 11th, however, Gonzaga responded with three runs of their own. First baseman Taylor Jones led off the frame with a double to center field, and he moved to third a couple of batters later with a fly out from Jarod Gonzales. The next Bulldog batter, Dustin Breshears, drew a walk, and Roberts came up big again with an RBI single to center field, allowing Jones to score on the play. A throwing error from Tiger shortstop Kevin Sandri allowed both Breshears and Roberts to score as well, giving the Zags a 5-2 advantage heading into the bottom of the 11th.
Pacific once again fought back, loading the bases after one out with two walks and a single. Sandri brought home one run to cut the GU lead to 5-3, but Gonzaga reliever Wyatt Mills settled down to strikeout Wagner for the second out of the frame and force a groundout from Danny Mayer to end the game.
With the win, Mills advanced to 2-1 on the year, setting a career high with eight strikeouts in the process. He came on in relief of Eli Morgan in the eighth inning, who pitched a gem, allowing three hits and one run in seven innings of work. He too fanned eight Pacific batters.
The game was scoreless until the sixth inning, when both teams scored their one run in the regulation nine. Right fielder Jace VanDeBrake led off the frame with a triple to right field, and he scored on an RBI groundout from Jeff Bohling. Pacific countered when Brusa sent the first pitch he saw from Morgan over the wall in right center.
Bulldog Bites:
- Morgan and Mills combined to strikeout 16 Pacific batters, a new season high for the squad. It's the highest strikeout total for the Bulldogs in a game since 2012, when they also combined for 16 Ks May 25 at BYU. It also equals the highest strikeout total by a West Coast Conference team this season; both Portland and Santa Clara have fanned 16 batters in a game, although those were both in non-conference play. After fanning 14 the night before, the Zags have posted 30 strikeouts in the series already; they entered the series with 200 strikeouts and 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings, the second-most in the conference.
- With the extra-innings win, Gonzaga advances to 3-1 games lasting 10 or more innings. All three of those wins have come within the last 10 games, and they've also all come in 11 innings; they beat Pepperdine 4-3 in 11 March 18 and Washington 8-6 in 11 March 28. They were 0-1 in extra innings last season.
- Gonzaga also clinches the series at Pacific with Saturday's win. The Bulldogs have either won or split each of the last six series against the Tigers dating back to 2011. They're now 10-2 all-time against the Tigers in Stockton.
Mac Talk: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf:
- "This was a big-time win for us; we stayed together and outlasted them. This weekend has been about the next man up and everyone has stepped up in big moments to clinch the series. Looking forward to another great Zag effort tomorrow!"
Next Up:
Gonzaga (15-10, 5-3 WCC) and Pacific will wrap up the series Sunday, April 3, with a 1:00 p.m. game at Klein Family Field. The Bulldogs have yet to announce a starter, but the Tigers will turn to with RHP Jake Jenkins in the finale.
