PORTLAND, Ore. — No. 22 Gonzaga baseball entered its season finale with Portland with the West Coast Conference series win already in hand, but Sunday's 5-3 win at Joe Ethel Field may have been the most hard-fought of the weekend. With a late rally from the Pilots (22-24, 13-11 WCC) threatening to undo a dominant defensive effort, the Bulldogs' batters came through with timely plays in the tenth inning to complete the sweep and earn their ninth straight win.
 
Strong performances from both starting throwers led to a defensive battle that didn't see a run scored until the fifth frame, a marked departure from the wind-lifted offensive production of the series' first two matchups. Zags RHP Alec Gomez (three K's, two walks) only allowed one hit in five innings on the mound, and Portland righty Christian Peters (eight K's, two walks) only gave up five in six frames of work, eventually yielding two tie-breaking runs in the fifth and sixth that gave the Bulldogs (30-13, 17-4) some breathing room, but not for long.
 
"Just a really gritty win on the road," said Head Coach Mark Machtolf. "To be able to stay with it and respond after losing a late lead was very impressive. Tyler Rando obviously had a huge day, and I thought Gomez gave us a great start."
 
Hitting next to each other in the lineup, Rando and Andrew Orzel carried the offense in those big moments — Rando picked up three RBI on four hits, driving in Orzel, who finished with two hits and three runs, twice. Grayson Sterling finished with two hits and a run, and Ryan Sullivan drove in a run in his lone hit.
 
The Action
 
After four scoreless frames with only two runners getting on base, it was Ryan Sullivan who generated GU's first run of the game with another big swing.
 
With Sterling on third and two outs on the board in the fifth, Ryan Sullivan knocked an RBI single that broke the tie and got him to scoring position on a fielder's choice, but Guthrie Morrison struck out in the next at-bat to halt any further progress until the next frame.
 
In the top of the sixth, back-to-back doubles from Andrew Orzel and Tyler Rando yielded the Zags' second RBI and doubled the lead, but two consecutive outs stranded a runner on second yet again. 
 
RHP Trystan Vrieling took over in the bottom of the frame, neutralizing the Pilots' bats in the same rhythm that Gomez did to the tune of three strikeouts and one earned run on one hit for 1⅔ frames. The Pilots finally gained some traction when Jake Holcroft tripled off Vrieling in the first at-bat of the seventh, getting on the board off a groundout from Briley Knight to pull back within one. 
 
Brody Jessee took the mound next, and closed out the rest of the game. The 6'3" righty contributed four more K's in three more innings on the mound, but had to deal with a Portland lineup that refused to back down late.
 
Rando and Orzel delivered hits in succession again in the eighth to bring the lead back to two, but a pair of two-out RBI kept Portland alive long enough to force an extra frame. A double from Chad Stevens scored Nich Klemp in the eighth to threaten a tie again, and the Pilots made good on it in the ninth with another clutch two-out single from Jake Tsukada that scored Holcroft's second run. With the lead suddenly evaporated and the Bulldogs facing a must-score situation, it was Rando and Orzel that yet again provided the necessary offensive spark. Harris and Orzel were walked consecutively to push Harris to second, and Rando came through with an RBI single that retook the lead. Orzel stole third in the next at-bat and scored the Zags fifth and final run in a failed pickoff attempt from UP reliever Eli Morse.
 
With just three outs left to finish the sweep, Jesse returned to the mound and proceeded to pick up two quick ones right away, with Ethan Smith striking out and Stevens flying out in the first two at-bats. But Jessee hit two batters with pitches and Holcroft singled to load the bases with just one out left to go. Sam Brown finally flew out on a 1-0 count to end a series finale that became a grinder of a game.
 
Series Background
 
Gonzaga has faced Portland more frequently than any other opponent this season — a series at home and this weekend's road stand for a total of six games. In those six games, GU is 5-1.
 
With the win, Gonzaga leads the series 57-14 since 2000. The Zags won an earlier non-conference matchup against Portland in March, dropping the first game 2-0 before winning two straight to clinch the series. Before dropping the 2-0 decision on March 5, GU had strung together 12 straight wins over the Pilots dating back to 2016, and are now winners of four straight against them.
 
Next Up
 
Gonzaga heads to No. 15 Oregon for a rescheduled non-conference matchup at the Ducks' PK Park in Eugene, Ore., on Tuesday, May 18. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. with starters yet to be determined.
 
Follow the Game
 
Tuesday's single game matchup is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch. Up-to-date game time information including live streaming and live stats links are available on GoZags.com.