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Gonzaga University Athletics

Daniel Naughton delivers a pitch
Zachary Lucy Photography

Baseball

Baseball Drops Game 7-5 at No. 7 Arkansas

GU outhit the Razorbacks 11-8, but had 11 LOB

Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Gonzaga baseball outhit No. 7 Arkansas 11-8, but left 11 runners on base in a 7-5 loss to open the four-game series in Fayetteville, Ark.

Gonzaga (2-3) twice came back from deficits to tie the score, but the Razorbacks (4-0) had the final answer with two runs in the seventh inning to take the win.

"We did a good job of battling, but didn't play a clean enough game to win," head coach Mark Machtolf said. "We gave too many free passes and didn't turn a couple plays into outs, which you need to do against a team of that caliber. We are ready to get back out there tomorrow."

Stephen Lund went 3-for-4, while Brett Harris, Tyler Rando and Ryan Sullivan each had two hits. Rando pushed his hit streak to all five games on the year.

Gonzaga starter Keaton Knueppel threw for the first time in nearly two years and went 2.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with one strikeout.  Daniel Naughton was solid in relief with 4.0 innings of work, allowing just two runs on two hits with five strikeouts.

Gonzaga answered a pair of second-inning Razorback runs with two of their own on Harris' first home run of the season. Harris went opposite field on the windy day and scored Ernie Yake, who had reached on a walk.

A bit of bad luck followed the Zags in the bottom of the third when Arkansas scored two on a pop fly to centerfield that Josh Bristyan lost in the sun. That was part of a three-run inning, but GU was there to answer once again.

Bristyan knocked home one with a groundout in the fourth, and then Sullivan and Gabriel Hughes hit back-to-back doubles in the fifth to bring the Zags within one. Later in the inning, Jack Machtolf knocked home the tying run with a groundout to make it 5-5.

On the mound, GU's Daniel Naughton faced just one over them minimum in the fourth, fifth and sixth to slow down the Razorbacks. After retiring the first batter of the seventh, Naughton's day was done and Arkansas put a pair of runners aboard against GU's Jacob Rutherford. Those runners came on to score after Rutherford was relieved by Trystan Vrieling. Vrieling settled in and pitched the final 1.2 innings.

Gonzaga and Arkansas will play the second of a four-game series in Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday at 1 p.m. PT/3 p.m. CT. Check GoZags.com for links to live coverage.
 
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Players Mentioned

Keaton Knueppel

Keaton Knueppel

LHP
6' 1"
Junior
Jack Machtolf

#24 Jack Machtolf

OF
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
Ernie Yake

#15 Ernie Yake

INF
5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Josh Bristyan

#3 Josh Bristyan

INF
5' 7"
Junior
Daniel Naughton

#18 Daniel Naughton

RHP
6' 0"
Freshman
Brett Harris

#30 Brett Harris

INF
6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
Stephen Lund

#31 Stephen Lund

C
5' 10"
Freshman
Ryan Sullivan

#40 Ryan Sullivan

INF
6' 5"
Junior
Tyler Rando

#25 Tyler Rando

C
5' 10"
Junior
Trystan Vrieling

#33 Trystan Vrieling

RHP
6' 4"
Freshman
Jacob Rutherford

#38 Jacob Rutherford

RHP
6' 0"
Freshman
Gabriel Hughes

#45 Gabriel Hughes

RHP
6' 4"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Keaton Knueppel

Keaton Knueppel

6' 1"
Junior
LHP
Jack Machtolf

#24 Jack Machtolf

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
OF
Ernie Yake

#15 Ernie Yake

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
INF
Josh Bristyan

#3 Josh Bristyan

5' 7"
Junior
INF
Daniel Naughton

#18 Daniel Naughton

6' 0"
Freshman
RHP
Brett Harris

#30 Brett Harris

6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
INF
Stephen Lund

#31 Stephen Lund

5' 10"
Freshman
C
Ryan Sullivan

#40 Ryan Sullivan

6' 5"
Junior
INF
Tyler Rando

#25 Tyler Rando

5' 10"
Junior
C
Trystan Vrieling

#33 Trystan Vrieling

6' 4"
Freshman
RHP
Jacob Rutherford

#38 Jacob Rutherford

6' 0"
Freshman
RHP
Gabriel Hughes

#45 Gabriel Hughes

6' 4"
Freshman
RHP