Box Score

SURPRISE, Ariz.-With a solid debut from Mac Lardner, strong defense, and timely hitting Saturday, the Gonzaga baseball team picked up its second win against Duke in as many days, downing the Blue Devils 4-1 at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz.

In a battle of freshman starting pitchers, Lardner prevailed, posting a quality start with 6.0 innings pitched and just one run allowed. The Templeton, Calif., native fanned eight batters, including three straight in the second inning to strand runners on second and third. He scattered eight hits through those six innings, but only one of them - a solo home run in the fourth inning from Zach Kone - did any damage.

Gonzaga's bats, however, got to Duke freshman Adam Laskey in a hurry. The Zags scored twice in the bottom of the first inning, tallying three hits and getting help from a Duke throwing error. With runners on the corners and only one out, Justin Jacobs drove a pitch up the middle, allowing Sam Brown to advance home. In the next at bat, Gunnar Schubert tallied his first RBI as a Zag, singling to plate Jeff Bohling. Laskey then fanned the next two batters to end the frame.

In the second, the Bulldogs added to their lead. Brown ripped a one-out single through the left side and then stole second to give Tyler Frost a runner in scoring position. Frost then drove one through the right side to allow the speedy redshirt senior to cross the plate.

Kone's homer in the fourth cut Gonzaga's lead to 3-1, but the Bulldogs got that run back in the fifth. They loaded the bases in the first three batters for Schubert. The shortstop did hit into a double play, but the grounder allowed Frost to come home for the score.

In the seventh inning, Lardner allowed hits to first two Blue Devi batters before making way for Sam Hellinger in relief. Hellinger then got a fly out and a double-play ball to end the inning. After the senior also got out of the eighth with a double play, Wyatt Mills came in and closed out Duke in the ninth for Gonzaga's second win of the year.

Laskey took the loss as the Blue Devils fell to 0-3 on the year. The Zags advanced to 2-1.

Bulldog Bites:

• Brown led the Zags offensively Saturday, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. He's successfully reached base in 34 straight games, a stretch that dates back to April 5, 2016. It's the longest active streak on the team, and his eight-game hit streak is also tied for the team lead.
• Lardner's eight strikeouts are the most by a Gonzaga freshman since Brandon Bailey also struck out eight on May 22, 2014. He fanned at least one batter in five of his six innings pitched.
• This weekend's games against Duke were the first between the two clubs. The Blue Devils are the only new foe on Gonzaga's 2017 slate.

Mac Talk: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf

• "Lardner had a great outing today. Maybe there were some freshman jitters early, but he really made some pitches when he had to. He showed great composure."
• "Defensively we had another solid effort. We made the routine play, and we really supported Lardner, Hellinger, and Mills."

Next Up:

Gonzaga will wrap up the season-opening Sanderson Ford Collegiate Baseball Classic on Sunday, Feb. 19, against Indiana. First pitch for that contest is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Pacific (1:30 p.m. Mountain). RHP Daniel Bies is scheduled to get his first collegiate start, and the Hoosiers will turn to LHP Andrew Saalfrank.