SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga baseball scored 10 combined runs in the seventh and eighth innings to erase 3-2 deficit and roll to a 12-3 win over Saint Mary's on Saturday night at Patterson Baseball Complex and Coach Steve Hertz Field.
Gonzaga (25-18, 16-7) got a two-run homer by
Troy Johnston in the seventh to go ahead 5-3 and then added seven runs in the eighth to break the game open and tie the series with Saint Mary's (26-18, 11-9).
Nick Nyquist had a huge night at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three doubles and four RBI, and
Alek Jacob completed a shutdown, 2.0-inning save with three strikeouts to end it.
Ernie Yake,
Austin Pinorini and
Daniel Fredrickson each had two hits in the game, while Pinorini scored three times as well.
"We knew we had a challenge and a game that we were going to have to stay with it," associate head coach
Danny Evans said. "It was a testament to our guys just doing what we do and rolling up quality at-bats until we were able to break it open. We talk to our guys about how resilient we can be, and how we can contribute each time up to the plate by making it tough. Ernie's [Yake] double and Troy's [Johnston] homer really ignited us tonight."
GU starter
Mac Lardner pitched well, going 6.0-plus innings and allowing three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and no walks.
Nick Trogrlic-Iverson came in for Lardner with a runner on in the seventh and threw a perfect inning with one strikeout before giving the ball to Jacob for the final two frames.
Saint Mary's got on the board first in the third inning with the first of three solo home runs, but GU tied it up in the fourth after Pinorini reached on a double and then was doubled home by Nyquist.
A Gael solo homer in both the fifth and sixth put them up 3-1 before GU got on the board again in the bottom of the sixth. Pinorini singled and then later scored from second on a single by
Mason Marenco to make it 3-2.
In the seventh, Yake drove home the first run of the inning to make it 3-3 and set the table for Johnston's big fly.
GU added seven more runs in the eighth with an RBI single by Fredrickson and a perfectly-executed squeeze bunt by
Carson Breshears. Morrison then came to the plate and ripped a bases-loaded double down the line to make it 9-3 Zags. Nyquist then hit a bases-loaded, bases- clearing double for the final total.
Gonzaga and Saint Mary's will wrap up the series on Sunday at Noon at Patterson Baseball Complex and Coach Steve Hertz Field. Check GoZags.com for links to live coverage.