Box Score

SURPRISE, Ariz.--The Gonzaga baseball team closed out the first weekend of the 2017 season Sunday, falling 5-1 to Indiana at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz.

Making his first collegiate start, Gonzaga right hander Daniel Bies was a bit wild to begin the game. The Woodinville, Wash., native walked the first three batters he faced to load the bases, but he then fanned the next two for the game's first two outs. Another walk issued to the Hoosiers' Scotty Bradley forced in a run, and a base hit from Tony Butler allowed another to score. On that same play, left fielder Sam Brown gunned down Logan Sowers, who was attempting to score from second base, at the plate to end the inning.

Indiana added another run in the bottom of the fourth to go up 3-0, but the Zags countered with one of their own in the fifth. First baseman Jake Vieth led the frame off with a double - his second hit of the day - and he came around immediately when Jake Roberts ripped a drive into right field. Two batters later, Brown singled down the right field line, giving the Zags runners on the corners with one out, but the next two batters made outs to halt the rally. The Hoosiers then added runs in both the fifth and the sixth innings for a 5-1 advantage.

Even though the game ended with that 5-1 scoreline, the Bulldogs had other chances to score. They left 10 men on base during the day and saw a potential rally in the third halted by a strong double play turned by the Hoosier defense. In the eighth inning, GU got another rally going when Jeff Bohling singled and Justin Jacobs drew a walk for a pair of runners with just one out. Nick Brooks then flied out to center field, however, as did Gunnar Schubert to end the frame.

Indiana (2-1) starter Andrew Saalfrank went 4.0 innings on the day, allowing just the one run, while reliever Kade Kryzsko picked up the win after 1.2 innings pitched. Bies drew the loss for Gonzaga.

Bulldog Bites:

• Vieth's two hits on the day were the first two of his Gonzaga career. The junior transfer from Tacoma CC got his first during the third inning before adding the fifth-inning double. He's already the fifth Zag to post multi-hit games this season; Brown, Jacobs, Schubert, and Bohling each saw two over the weekend, including Bohling's two-hit performance Sunday.
• After his four first-inning walks, Bies settled down a bit and didn't issue another free pass. He pitched 5.0 innings and fanned five batters, both career highs.
• Brown threw two runners out from his spot in left field, his first career two-assist day. He threw out Sowers at home to end the first inning, and he later gunned down Sowers again in the third following a fly out. He's the first GU player with multiple outfield assists since the 2012 season.
• Branson Trube earned the start in right field, his first of the year and first since getting injured last March. The junior from Meridian, Idaho, went 1-for-3 with a single and made three putouts on the day.
• With a pair of wins over Duke and pair of losses to Indiana, the Zags went 2-2 at the season-opening Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic. The program has gone 14-15 in opening weekend games since 2010.

Mac Talk: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf:

• "This was a disappointing way to finish the weekend. I don't think we gave Indiana our best punch."
• "Offensively we weren't able to capitalize on some opportunities, and Indiana made some big pitches when they needed to."

Next Up:

The Bulldogs will continue their season-opening road trip with a three-game series at UCLA next weekend, Feb. 24-26. First pitch in that series will come on Friday, Feb. 24 at 6:00 p.m. in Los Angeles.