Box Score

MALIBU, Calif.-The Gonzaga baseball team suffered its first series loss of the West Coast Conference season Sunday, falling 2-1 to Pepperdine at Eddy D. Field Stadium in Malibu, Calif.

Pepperdine won with a walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth inning. Gonzaga reliever Wyatt Mills struck out the first batter in the frame, but Pepperdine pitcher Jordan Qsar found the gap in right center for a double, giving the Waves a runner in scoring position. Mills then fanned Josh Davis for the second out, but Wave catcher Joe Caparis blooped a ball into right field, allowing Qsar to score the winning run.

Both teams saw scoring opportunities during the game, but both pitching staffs kept the offenses in check. Bulldog starter Casey Legumina scattered five hits across seven innings, allowing just one run in the third. Despite allowing an RBI single to Jeremy Goldenetz in the third inning, Legumina left the bases loaded to limit the damage. The freshman faced the minimum in five frames, and he didn't allow a run in the sixth despite a leadoff single by Goldenetz.

Gonzaga, meanwhile, scored one run on six hits, but the Zags also saw baserunners in six of their nine trips to the plate. In the third, Daniel Fredrickson and Tyler Frost combined for their lone tally. Fredrickson smashed a one-out double down the left field line, and Frost drove him home with a knock through the right side of the infield.

However, Wave pitchers were able to leave the bases loaded in the second inning and strand two in each of the third, fourth, fifth, and seventh innings. Qsar earned the win after taking over on the mound in the eighth inning, and Mills suffered the loss, his first of the season. Both starters drew no-decisions.

Bulldog Bites:

• Legumina saw the best start of his young career Sunday, tallying career highs with 7.0+ innings and eight strikeouts. The Chandler, Ariz., native struck out the side in the fifth, and he added two more in the seventh. Since WCC play started March 17, Legumina has tallied a 1.50 ERA, allowing just three earned runs in 18.0 innings of work. He's struck out 17 batters and walked only two during that stretch.
• The series loss is the Zags' first of the WCC season after sweeping Pacific and taking two of three from San Francisco. Despite the two losses this weekend, the Bulldogs are still tied for third in the conference standings with a 6-3 record.
• Bulldog batters drew nine walks Sunday, their second-highest total of the season. Sam Brown, Jake Vieth, and Jake Roberts each drew two bases on balls, and six total Zags earned free passes. Gonzaga pitchers, meanwhile, walked just one Pepperdine batter.

Mac Talk: Thoughts from Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf

• "The biggest thing is that we need to stay together and keep getting better each week. After three weeks of conference play, we are still in good shape."
• "Casey was outstanding today, and that's four consecutive good outings. He'll be a big factor for us going forward."

Next Up:

The Bulldogs (14-13, 6-3 WCC) take a break from conference play and head up the coast for a single game against UC Santa Barbara on Monday, April 3. That contest will begin at 12:00 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif. LHP Mac Lardner will start for Gonzaga while the Gauchos counter with LHP Ben Brecht.