SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Following a low-scoring pitcher's battle in its series opener with Santa Clara Friday, Gonzaga's offense came alive in extra innings in game two, pulling away with a six-run 13th to clinch its first conference series win of the season with a 10-4 victory.
The lead changed four times and tied twice before the 13th, when the Zags more than doubled their run output from the first nine in one explosive frame.
Ernie Yake,
Brett Harris,
Guthrie Morrison,
Andrew Orzel and
Stephen Lund all earned runs to seal the game after Brody Jesse held the Broncos to one hit with a team-high five K's in extra innings.
The series win is GU's fifth straight against Santa Clara.
"Just a really resilient team win," said Head Coach
Mark Machtolf. "I thought our bullpen was outstanding today, led by
Brody Jessee.
"Offensively, it wasn't our best day, but we kept grinding away and had the big 13th inning. Ready to watch a Zags hoops win, and then get ready for game three tomorrow."
Broncos starting RHP Erlandson (4.0 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 K) and GU starter
Alec Gomez (3.2 IP, 3 runs, 2 K) both combined to keep the game scoreless going into inning four, before Tony Boetto's solo homer scored the first SCU run of the game —and first of the series — for a 1-0 Broncos lead.
But the Zags proceeded to pick up two runs at the bottom of the inning in response.
Andrew Orzel flew out to send
Brett Harris home to tie, and
Guthrie Morrison stole third and scored on a wild pitch to put the Zags ahead 2-1.
Two innings later, SCU produced two more runs when Matt Jew doubled down the left field line, sending Boetto and Ryan McCarthy home to retake the lead.
With the Bulldogs running out of time to reclaim the lead in the eighth,
Ryan Sullivan stepped up and slammed a homer in his first hit of the season for the tying run — but he wouldn't be the only one to exit the park that inning. SCU's Jake MacNichols gave the Broncos the lead again before the ninth with a solo homer of his own, leaving the Zags with one frame to make up the difference.
Kanta Kobayashi reached home off another errant throw with the bases loaded in the ninth to tie the game yet again, but the Zags couldn't produce a tying run before the turn of the inning.
Alek Jacob and
Trystan Vrieling combined for three strikeouts in the bottom of the ninth, keeping the Zags' hopes for extra innings alive heading into the tenth.
The game extended to 13 innings after going scoreless in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings before the Zags' six-run show in the 13th to seal the 10-4 victory.
Inside the Series
With the win, GU moves to 48-28 against SCU all time, coinchingn this season's conference series with the 2-0. The two teams didn't meet during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but last played in 2019, a conference series the Zags won 2-1.
Next Up
The Zags resume the series with Santa Clara tomorrow with a chance to sweep the series with the Broncos.
Follow the Game
Sunday's game is set to start at noon, with live streaming available via the WCC Network. Check GoZags.com for up-to-date game information and live stats.
