Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash.--Thanks to another strong outing on the mound by Brandon Bailey and a pair of three-RBI days from Taylor Jones and Tyler Frost, the Gonzaga baseball team beat Santa Clara 7-4 to open the team's final homestand of the year Friday night at Patterson Baseball Complex & Washington Trust Field.

The Bulldogs scored the first two runs of the game in the third inning. Third baseman Jeff Bohling drew a one-out walk to give the home side a base runner, and then Jones crushed an 0-1 pitch well over the left field fence for his first home run of the year, giving Gonzaga a 2-0 lead. He entered the game with 21 extra-base hits, the vast majority of them doubles, however.

Santa Clara evened the game up with the next two runs, getting one in each of the fourth and the fifth innings. Gonzaga, however, countered with four runs in the sixth, those coming on six hits and an error by the Broncos' defense. Designated hitter Nick Brooks led the frame off with a single through the left side off SCU reliever Travis Howard, and the next two batters reached on bunt singles to load the bases. After a strikeout, Jones drove a hit through the right side allowing one run to score, and a second from Jace VanDeBrake came in when SCU right fielder Grant Meylan bobbled the ball while attempting to field it. Two batters later, Tyler Frost drove in two more with a two-out double to center field.

The Broncos scored two in the top of the eighth, but the Zags got one back with a sacrifice fly from Frost. Junior Wyatt Mills came in for the ninth inning and allowed a couple of base runners, but he also kept Santa Clara off the score sheet for his third save of the year and third in the Zags' last four games.

Bulldog Bites:

• The game featured the two premier strikeout pitchers of the West Coast Conference as Santa Clara starter Mitchell White entered the game topping the conference with 80 batters struck out and GU's Bailey was second with 72. White struck out nine batters in his 5.0 innings of work while Bailey fanned 10 in 7.0. In all, both pitching staffs combined to retire 25 batters via the strikeout, the most of the season for the Bulldogs and their opponents. Bailey's now struck out 10 or more batters three times in his career, two of those coming this season.
• A pair of Zags posted three-hit days as Jones paired two singles with his home run, driving in three RBIs and scoring twice himself. Breshears, meanwhile singled three times and reached once more via an error. In addition to Jones' three RBIs, Frost drove in three runs as well. He entered the game with a team-leading 35 RBIs and eight multi-RBI games.
• Gonzaga posted five infield hits on the day: three in the sixth, all of which came via well-placed bunts, and two in the eighth. Bohling hit an infield double in the eighth when SCU shortstop Austin Fisher slipped while fielding a popup in that eighth inning, and Jones hit a high chopper that the Broncos' shift could not come up with.
• With the win, the Zags moved into sole control of first place in the West Coast Conference standings. They entered the weekend tied with BYU and Saint Mary's, but both of those teams are playing non-conference series this weekend.
• The game was delayed for 41 minutes due to lighting after the top of the first inning.

Zag Speak:

Assistant Coach Brandon Harmon:

• "After sitting for 45 minutes, Bailey really came out and gave us a good effort. Ten punch-outs in seven innings, the one run is his own fault, but he did what he needed to do on Friday night."
• "For Jonesy to hit a home run there off White, who has some really good numbers, and put us up two, that gave us a bit of breathing room. He's our best hitter, and...it loosened us up pretty good."

Next Up:

The Zags (23-12, 11-5 WCC) continue the final home stand of the year on Saturday, April 23, with another 6:05 p.m. contest. Sophomore RHP Eli Morgan will take the mound for Gonzaga while Santa Clara will counter with fellow RHP Steven Wilson.