HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Gonzaga's Alek Jacob earned the save in both ends of a doubleheader sweep at Southern Mississippi on Saturday in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
 
The doubleheader was the result of a rainout Friday, and the Zags battled from out front all day long. GU grabbed the lead in each game in the first or second inning and was able to stay tied or in the lead all the way through.
 
"It was an all-around good day for the team," head coach Mark Machtolf said. "This is a tough environment to come in and sweep a doubleheader from a really good team. We had a lot of good individual performances today, but most importantly, it was a great team effort in all facets."
 
Game 1 – Gonzaga 4, Southern Miss 2
Gonzaga scored two in the first inning and then held on to a late lead on the way to a 4-2 win in the first game of the doubleheader. DH Mason Marenco got his first-career start for the Zags and went 4-for-4 with a run scored to lead the offense.
 
Right-hander Casey Legumina was fantastic on the mound, going 7.0 innings and allowing just two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts and a pair of walks. Newly minted closer Alek Jacob got his first save of the year, working 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four.
 
Along with Marenco's four hits, Guthrie Morrison, Austin Pinorini and Ryan Sullivan had two hits apiece.
 
Sullivan collected an RBI single and Troy Johnston brought home another in a two-run first for Gonzaga. Legumina cruised through the first five innings unscathed before USM got to him in the bottom of the sixth with two runs.
 
GU added on in the top of the sixth, but Southern Miss pulled within one at 3-2. The Zags answered with another in the eighth to make it 4-2 and set up the cushion for Jacob to close it out.
 
Game 2 – Gonzaga 10, Southern Miss 8
Gonzaga pounded out four runs in the 10^th inning to take the night cap of the doubleheader 10-6.
 
GU got those four runs on just two hits, manufacturing the inning out of free passes and timely hitting. Sullivan, Johnston, Bristyan and Pinorini each had RBIs in the inning.
 
Guthrie Morrison was the star on offense, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Troy Johnston collected two hits and Pinorini, Sullivan and Isaac Barrera each had two RBI.
 
On the mound, it was Jacob again who came in and shut the door for Gonzaga, collecting his second save of the day. He entered with one out in the 10^th after Billy Dimlow had gone 1.2 innings and allowed just one unearned run.
 
Gonzaga jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, getting an RBI double from Isaac Barrera and an RBI single from Marenco. After USM tied it a 3-3 in the fifth, the teams traded runs for the next three innings.
 
Gonzaga took a 5-3 lead with a solo homer by Sullivan, and after USM tied it at 5-5, GU again took a 6-5 lead with an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Pinorini. The Golden Eagles came back with a run again in the 7^th to tie it at 6-6.
 
The bullpens then took over in the eighth and ninth, but GU got back on the board in the top of the 10^th. With two outs Josh Bristyan drew a bases loaded walk to score one for Gonzaga as part of the four-run inning.
 
Gonzaga and Southern Miss will wrap the series on Sunday at 8 a.m . PT/10 a.m. CT at Pete Taylor Park. Check GoZags.com for links to live coverage.