Box Score SPOKANE, Wash. — With the longest win streak of the season snapped earlier in the week, No. 17 Gonzaga (31-14, 18-4 WCC) got back to what it does best in its West Coast Conference series-opening win over San Francisco at Hertz Field and Patterson Baseball Complex — disciplined offense buoyed by a solid night from the starter on the mound.
 
The Bulldogs put up three runs in the first — kick-started by a solo bomb from Ernie Yake on the first pitch — and held on for the 3-2 win behind a cohesive fielding effort and near-flawless throwing by starter Alek Jacob and reliever Trystan Vrieling, who combined for nine strikeouts. Jacob's off-speed arsenal was commanding yet again in his ninth start of the season, only giving up five hits in total in seven frames of work, walking one.
 
USF's two runs were both scored by Jordan Vujovich, who reached home on a single from Luke Keschall in the first and connected on a solo homer in the eighth to put USF within one. But after taking the mound, Vrieling didn't allow a hit or a walk in the final two frames, weathering a late surge by the Dons to earn the save.
 
"That's a great Friday night win," said Head Coach Mark Machtolf. "Jacob did a great job of settling in after a rocky first. I thought we swung the bat better than the results. Huge caught stealing from Livingston in the 8th. Ready to get back at it tomorrow."
 
Guthrie Morrison (one RBI) and Brett Harris (one run) paced a subdued hitting effort from the Zags with two hits apiece, with four other Zags picking up a base hit to round out an eight-hit night.
 
The Action
 
With the Zags down 1-0 after Keschall's RBI shot in the first, Ernie Yake, in his first at-bat since April 27, crushed the first pitch for a solo homer that preceded a potent three-run response in the bottom of the inning. Four Bulldog batters got on base, and Andrew Orzel and Guthrie Morrison drove in runs from Grayson Sterling and Harris to take a lead that GU wouldn't surrender through the rest of the game.
 
Jacob settled in by the second frame, proceeding to hold the Dons scoreless for the next five while being tagged for only three hits in that span. But USF starter Landen Bourassa found his rhythm too, holding the Zags scoreless for the rest despite a litany of two-out opportunities with runners in position.
 
In the top of the fifth, Harris connected on a deep drive that hit the left field wall to reach second, but a groundout from Rando ended the frame before the Zags could get him home.
 
Mason Marenco and Morrison reached second and third respectively in the sixth on a wild pitch, but another pop fly — this time from Jack Machtolf — kept them from making progress for the second frame in a row.
 
The Dons made a similar advance in the bottom of the frame and threatened to tie, with a bunt from Darius Foster moving Davis and Williams to second and third with one out on the board. But Jacob struck out the next hitter and Harris collected a foul ball to keep the frame clean, the two-run lead still in hand.
 
Despite Yake reaching third in the next frame on a throwing error, the Zags were denied a run yet again, this time by a putout at second. 
 
Vujovich scored USF's second run with a solo homer of his own in the top of the eighth that cut the lead to one, prompting Trystan Vrieling to enter the game in relief. Vrieling didn't allow a hit through the rest of the inning — Keaschall was caught stealing second, Vrieling struck out Jack Winkler swinging and Yake picked up a groundout from Jacob Munoz to move to the bottom of the inning with the lead still intact.
 
Morrison was walked and stole second to make it four consecutive frames with a runner in scoring position, but Marenco struck out in the next at-bat to put the Zags in another two-out situation with Jack Machtolf up to bat. The Dons opted to bring in Bo Jelinek in relief, and Jack Machtolf connected on a single to move Morrison to third before a flyout from Riley Livingston stopped the advance heading into a decisive final frame where Vrieling retired the side to end the game.
 
WCC Outlook
 
With GU's win and second-place San Diego's comeback win over fourth-place Portland, both teams remain 1-2 in the WCC standings ahead of their series next weekend in Spokane, with GU ahead by two games. The two teams were originally scheduled to square off in the last weekend of April, but those three meetings were postponed due to COVID protocols. 
 
Inside the Series
 
With the win, the Zags match a program-record four-straight wins against the Dons — breaking a previous all-time tie with a 35-34-1 advantage. USF's last win came in 2018, a 3-0 shutout at Benedetti Diamond in San Francisco. The two teams also have a rare tie on their record — a 2-2 final that took place in the finale of a three-game road series in 2010.
 
Next Up
 
The Zags have an opportunity to clinch their sixth straight WCC series win in game two on Saturday. RHP William Kempner (3-1, 2.73 ERA, 33.0 IP, 29 K) is slated to start for GU vs. USF's Jesse Barron (4-2, 2.88 ERA, 34.1 IP, 42 K). 
 
Follow the Game
 
Saturday's matchup is set for a 6 p.m. start, with first pitch for game three on Sunday set for noon. Live streaming will be available via the WCC Network. Check GoZags.com for up-to-date game day information, live stats and more.