FORT WORTH, Texas — A ninth-frame lead wasn't enough when Gonzaga baseball went to extra innings for the first time this season Sunday at Lupton Field against a No. 9 TCU team, but the Bulldogs (8-8) finally found three runs in an 11th inning that knocked off the Horned Frogs (10-6) for the second time in three days by a score of 10-7.
 
Down 4-6 after a solid showing from TCU starter Austin Krob (5 strikeouts, 7 hits, 4 earned runs) and six innings of back-and-forth, the Bulldogs (8-8) found their answer when Stephen Lund blasted a momentum-swinging homer for the third time this week to put GU up 7-6 — but Elijah Nunez drew a walk to open the bottom of the ninth and TCU managed to generate a tying run to push the game further off a right-side single from Gene Wood that sent him home.
 
One scoreless inning later with the bases loaded and two outs, Andrew Orzel blasted a series-sealing drive on a 2-3 count that yielded runs from Brett Harris, Stephen Lund and Guthrie Morrison after a TCU error throwing to first, and the Zags leave Texas with their first series win over a ranked opponent in nearly a decade.
 
"Great series win on the road," said Head Coach Mark Machtolf. "A lot of resiliency today from our whole team. Proud of their effort"
 
RHP Trystan Vrieiling (1.2 IP, 2 strikeouts, 2 hits) and Daniel Naughton (1.1 IP, one strikeout, one hit) navigated a perilous 10th and 11th for GU with GU's one-run lead intact. Naughton struck Wood out looking, and the Zags managed a double play on a groundout from Kurtis Byrne that ended the game. 12 total pitchers saw action on the mound for both teams as the game stretched on, with both teams turning to their bullpens in hopes of a final boost.
 
In total, GU's hitters bounced back from a one-run outing on Saturday by racking up 12 hits, led by Morrison (3-for-4, 3 runs) and Lund, who picked up at least two hits for the third game in a row to go with three RBI and three runs of his own. Harris finished 2-for-4, with two runs and a RBI. After going without a walk Saturday, the Zags got on base off balls five times, picking up two home runs and a double as their only extra base hits.
 
All things considered, extra innings felt like a natural finish for two teams that refused to let the game get out of reach. Krob and GU starter Alec Gomez (4 IP, 2 strikeouts, 5 hits, 4 earned runs) put up three quick outs in a scoreless first frame, but both teams put up a run apiece in the second; Gabriel Hughes slammed a solo homer in the top of the inning, and Wood advanced to second after a walk and picked up a run in response when Gray Rodgers singled to right field.
 
But the Bulldogs pulled away 4-1 in the next frame after Harris singled through the left side and a foulout RBI from Orzel brought in two more runs before the close of the inning — Lund scored from third, and Harris went straight home from second on an error for GU's fourth run.
 
After two GU groundouts and a flyout gave the Horned Frogs some breathing room, they got right back into the game in the fourth with three runs of their own in the fourth. 
 
Krob kept the Zags from making any advance on base again in the sixth, and Tommy Sacco hit a two-run single that put TCU ahead before Lund's slam suddenly made it a much different game going into the game's final stretch.


Inside the Series
Despite the series win by GU -- its first against the Horned Frogs -- TCU still leads the all-time series between the two schools 4-3, with every game being played at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs came into the weekend with a 3-1 all-time advantage.
 
Series Notes
-Lund finished with two homers in the series and tied for the most hits on the team with Harris at seven. Harris led the Bulldogs in batting average against TCU (.583).
-Orzel and Lund tied for the most RBI for a GU player this weekend at five and the most at-bats with 15 apiece.
-The Zags are now 2-3 against Top-25 teams this season.
-Hughes' sole hit of the series was a solo home run.
 
Up Next
The Zags head down to California next weekend to kick off a 27-game West Coast Conference pennant race with a three-game stand with Santa Clara (6-8). The results of those 27 conference games will decide teams' NCAA Tournament eligibility in lieu of the usual conference tournament. 
 
GU pitching coach Brandon Harmon says the conference's parity this year will leave little room for error for a team eyeing the chance for its first NCAA berth since 2018.
 
"With those usual suspects, it's going to come down to one or two games," pitching coach Brandon Harmon said. "This year more than ever … you've got to win in the regular season. You don't get a do-over for that four-team conference tournament."
 
Follow the Game
 
The Zags' WCC opener with the Broncos is set to start at 3 p.m. March 19, with Saturday's start set for 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon. Live streaming will be available via the WCC Network. Check GoZags for up-to-date game information and live stats.