Box Score

LOS ANGELES--With another outstanding pitching performance, the Gonzaga University baseball team took sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference standings Saturday as Eli Morgan went the distance in a 4-0 shutout of Loyola Marymount.

Morgan pitched all nine innings, tying a career-high 11 batters while allowing just six hits and walking one. It's Morgan's second career shutout and second of the season after he also held Portland scoreless over nine innings April 9 in Spokane. Saturday's win was his ninth of the year, advancing his record to 9-1 overall.

Morgan limited scoring opportunities for the Lions, and when they did arise, he shut the door to keep LMU scoreless. The home squad got three runners to third base - once in each of the first, fifth, and eighth innings - but the Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., native left them stranded. In all, Morgan stranded seven base runners on the night.

After Morgan kept LMU off the scoreboard in the eighth, the Zags took advantage of their opportunities in the ninth with three runs to blow the game open late. Shortstop Dustin Breshears gave Gonzaga a base runner with a one-out single, and he moved over on a ground out by Joey Harris. Designated hitter Nick Brooks then lined a single into right field, allowing Breshears to score from second to give the Zags a 2-0 advantage. That RBI single chased LMU reliever Cory Abbot from the game in favor of Sean Watkins, but the Zags greeted the Lions' closer with back-to-back RBI doubles form Jace VanDeBrake and Sam Brown for a 4-0 lead.

Gonzaga scored the game's first run in the third inning, scratching one across after a leadoff double by Brooks. The redshirt sophomore moved over to third on a ground ball two batters later, and third baseman Jeff Bohling then dropped a single into shallow right field, allowing Brooks to scamper home for the first run of the game.

Magic Number: 1: With the win, Gonzaga (29-15, 15-8 WCC) takes sole control of first place in the WCC standings and is one game away from clinching a berth to the WCC Championships. The top four teams advance to the conference tournament, held in Stockton, Calif., and the fifth-place team of San Francisco was eliminated after a loss to BYU earlier Saturday. The teams that entered the day in seventh, San Diego and Pacific, were still mathematically alive with only 11 losses and six conference games left to play. Loyola Marymount dropped to 13-13 in conference play (26-25 overall) with the loss and was eliminated from postseason consideration.

Bulldog Bites:

• Morgan's 11 strikeouts equaled his career high, which he set during his other shutout April 9 versus Portland. The Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., native struck out five in a row at one point Saturday night, ending the fifth inning with two Ks and retiring the side in the sixth via the strikeout as well. Seaver Whalen snapped that streak to begin the bottom of the seventh with a fly out to Tyler Frost in center, but Morgan fanned the next two batters for a stretch of seven strikeouts in eight attempts.
• The sterling performance by Morgan continued his domination of WCC batters. After adding nine shutout innings and 11 strikeouts tonight, he's now logged 66 strikeouts in 62.0 innings for a 1.31 ERA against conference foes, and they're hitting just .227 off the righty. He also remained undefeated in conference play, advancing to 7-0.
• After winning the first two games of the series, Gonzaga clinched the set against Loyola Marymount. It's the first time the Zags have taken the season series over the Lions since 2011 when they took two of three from LMU in Los Angeles.
• Gonzaga has now shut out opponents in five games with four of those coming in conference play. Morgan leads the team and is tied for the conference lead with two shutouts, and he's also tied atop the WCC with three complete games. It's the first time in four seasons that a Bulldog has pitched multiple shutouts, and it's the first time in three that one has gone the distance in at least three contests. May 13's starter Brandon Bailey also went the distance at LMU, giving Gonzaga back-to-back complete games for the first time this year.

Mac Talk: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf:

• "That was an outstanding outing from Eli. All four pitches were really working, and he really commanded his fastball to both lefties and righties."
• "From a team perspective, we need to let this momentum carry into Sunday while keep focusing on one day at a time."

Next Up:

The Zags have a chance to clinch their berth to the WCC Championships and sweep Loyola Marymount all at once with the final game of the series Sunday, May 15. That 1:00 p.m. contest will feature junior right hander Hunter Wells on the mound for Gonzaga while Loyola Marymount will turn to RHP J.D. Busfield.