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SPOKANE, Wash.-In a game of tie scores and momentum swings, Saint Mary's got the last say as the Gonzaga baseball squad fell 9-8 in 10 innings to the Gaels Saturday afternoon at Patterson Baseball Complex & Washington Trust Field.

Despite starting as a slugfest, the game turned into a pitching battle between closers Wyatt Mills and Kevin Milam in the final few innings. Milam took over in the fifth for Saint Mary's, while Mills inherited a tie game in the seventh for the Bulldogs. After the teams went scoreless in the final three innings of regulation, the Gaels jumped ahead with a run on two hits in the 10th, getting the winning tally on a single from Milam. He began the game as the designated hitter before assuming pitching duties halfway through.

In the bottom of the 10th, Jake Roberts dropped a two-out single into center field to try and spur another Zag rally, but it wasn't enough as Sam Brown grounded out to first base to end the game.

Until that additional inning, both teams matched each other's move as there were four tie scores and each club held at least one lead. The Gaels opened scoring with a first-inning run, but Gonzaga countered with a solo home run from Tyler Frost in the bottom of the frame. After a scoreless second, the Gaels posted a crooked number in the top of the third, scoring five runs off GU starter Justin Vernia. They tallied five hits in the frame, including back-to-back home runs from Zach Kirtley and Milam.

The Zags punched right back, putting up a five-spot of their own in the bottom half of the third. Jake Roberts led off with a home run to left field, and four of the next five Zag batters singled, with Justin Jacobs and Jeff Bohling driving in a run. That hit parade chased Gaels starter Conner Loeprich from the game, and Daniel Fredrickson greeted reliever Cameron Neff with a triple down the right field line, allowing two more Bulldogs to score and tying the game at 6-6.

Gonzaga took the lead in the fourth with another RBI single from Jacobs, but the Gaels got that back in the fifth with a solo homer from Jackson Thoreson. In the next inning, Saint Mary's took its third lead of the game at 8-7 when a balk from Gonzaga reliever Sam Hellinger advanced a runner home. In the bottom of the sixth, however, Brown tied the game once more after scoring on a wild pitch.

Bulldog Bites:

• Despite taking the loss, his second of the season, Mills saw a strong outing from the bullpen. The senior from Spokane struck out a season-high seven batters in 4.0 innings and was one out away from equaling his longest outing of the campaign. Mills didn't walk anyone, extending his strikeout/walk ratio to 42/4 on the year, and he pushed his strikeouts per nine ratio to 13.5, the highest on the squad. Despite being seventh on the team in innings pitched, Mills' 42 Ks are the third most.
• The Bulldogs hit multiple home runs for the sixth time this season and second time in the series. After also hitting two April 28, this is the first time they've posted multiple home runs in back-to-back games in 2017. Roberts has homered in each game against the Gaels and now has four on the season. Frost, meanwhile, hit his career-best eighth four-bagger of the year and first since April 1st at Pepperdine (15 games).
• Saint Mary's and Gonzaga combined for 17 runs on 31 hits Saturday. Both are the second-highest figures for games involving the Zags this season. Seven of both teams' starters delivered at least one hit, with Milam leading the way at five. Both Frost and Roberts collected three to pace Gonzaga and equal their season highs.

Zag Speak:

Assistant Coach Brandon Harmon:

• "We're disappointed in the end result, but our team did a great job of fighting. We didn't quit; they just got a big hit in the 10th and we didn't. We have to respond tomorrow, come back, and be ready to go."

Right-fielder Daniel Fredrickson

• "Our offense really stepped up today. It doesn't show it in the result, but we really battled."

Next Up:

The Bulldogs (25-16, 14-6 WCC) and Gaels (28-14, 11-6 WCC) will close out the series on Sunday, April 30, with one final game at Patterson Baseball Complex & Washington Trust Field. RHP Jake Valdez will earn the nod for Saint Mary's. Gonzaga has yet to announce a starter.