Box Score

EUGENE, Ore.--The Gonzaga baseball team used two-out runs to great effect Monday night, scoring nine times with two down as they came back to beat Oregon 9-7 at PK Park in Eugene, Ore.

All of GU's nine runs each came with two outs. After the Ducks scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first, the Zags countered with a pair of two-out scores in the second to take the lead. After the first two batters made outs, the next three Bulldogs drew walks, and right fielder Jace VanDeBrake was hit by a pitch from Oregon starter Matt Krook to drive in a run. Next, left fielder Sam Brown drew another base on balls to give the Zags a lead without a hit in the frame.

In the third, Gonzaga added three runs on a pair of singles and three walks. Designated hitter Nick Brooks brought in two of those with a single down the right field line, and VanDeBrake drove in his second of the night with a single to left center. In the fourth, center fielder Tyler Frost added a sixth run with a solo homer, again with two down.

The home squad responded by evening the game in the bottom of the fourth. Oregon sent all nine batters to the plate in, getting two-RBI doubles from Tim Susnara and Austin Grebeck, while an RBI single from Daniel Patzlaff chased GU starter Eli Morgan. Junior righty Brandon Bailey came in and fanned the next batter to get out of the inning. Oregon re-took the lead with one run in the fifth after loading the bases, but Bailey struck out two of the final three batters to limit the damage.

The Bulldogs struck back in the seventh, taking the lead on two hits. Catcher Joey Harris drew a one-out walk for a Bulldog baserunner, and Brooks moved him over with a single through the left side. After a groundout advanced both runners, VanDeBrake brought them home with a single to right, collecting his third and fourth RBIs of the day.

They got an insurance run in the eighth after a single from Harris drove home Jeff Bohling after the junior stole second base. Harris' RBI gave Gonzaga a 9-7 lead, which reliever Sam Hellinger protected for 1.2 innings, getting through the eighth inning and two outs of the ninth. Closer Wyatt Mills came on to get the final out, confirming the win.

Bulldog Bites:

• The win is Gonzaga's first over Oregon since UO's program was reinstated in 2009. Since the 2010 season, the two clubs have met 13 times with tonight's win moving the contemporary series record to 1-12 in favor of Oregon.
• With nine two-out RBIs Monday, the Zags now have 110 on the year. VanDeBrake's four RBI all came with two outs, giving the redshirt freshman 13 on the year. He's the fifth Bulldog with double-digit two-out RBIs this season. Frost, the team's overall RBI leader, also tops the squad with 20.
• Bailey saw his first relief appearance of the year, getting 3.1 innings of work in after 10 days off. The junior is Gonzaga's typical Friday night starter, while Morgan -- who started tonight's contest -- normally gets the nod on Saturday. Both Bailey and Morgan fanned five batters, and Bailey picked up the win, his seventh of the season. The save was Mills' sixth of the year.
• Gonzaga drew 12 walks on the night, a season high and the most since drawing 13 March 11, 2015 at Arkansas. Harris and Brown led the way with three walks each -- career highs for both -- while Bohling and Jake Roberts each drew two, which also equaled or set career bests.
• Monday night's game was the first of a regular season-ending 10 games in 15 days for Gonzaga. They play one more against Oregon before a three-game West Coast Conference series at Loyola Marymount over the weekend. After that, single games against Washington State and UC Santa Barbara bookend a conference set at San Diego. Prior to today's game at Oregon, the Zags had been off for eight days.

Mac Talk: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf:

• "It was good to get back out there after a long layoff and hopefully get back in game rhythm. We had some very good at bats in big situations, and a lot of them came with two outs. We did a great job of scoring when those opportunities presented themselves."

Next Up:

Gonzaga (26-15) looks to sweep the brief two-game series in Eugene with another 6:00 p.m. contest on Tuesday, May 10. The Zags will send sophomore RHP Gage Burland to the mound while the Ducks will counter with LHP Cole Stringer.