SPOKANE, Wash. — After a late rally and a wild finish gave No. 17 Gonzaga (32-15, 19-5 WCC) a West Coast Conference series victory over San Francisco (23-27, 16-11) on Saturday night, the Bulldogs couldn't overcome an overwhelming offensive showing from the Dons en route to aN 11-1 loss in the series finale.
 
Sixteen Zag batters got on base, but a combined 20 outs with balls in play and 10 stranded runners limited GU's opportunities to retake control while USF put up four runs each in the fifth and sixth, paced by a three-hit, three-run outing from Luke Keaschall and two hits and four RBI from Jacob Munoz.
 
"Not a good day in any facet, but that happens sometimes," said Head Coach Mark Machtolf.  
"We need to do a great job of flushing that one and getting it out of our system. Lots of big games in front of us."
 
Starter Alec Gomez struck out four in 5 ⅔ innings on the mound for GU, but was tagged for eight hits — three of them extra base hits — and nine earned runs. Relievers Jacob Rutherford, Daniel Naughton and Brody Jessee closed the rest of the game, with Naughton and Jessee holding the Dons without a hit in the final two frames.


Tyler Rando led an eight-hit outing for GU with two hits, and Ryan Sullivan scored the Bulldogs' lone run off a bases-loaded walk from Brett Harris with two outs in the ninth.


The Action
 
After a scoreless first, Harris was hit by a pitch for the 22nd time this season and Rando was walked before a wild pitch moved them to second and third with Sterling at the plate. But Sterling flew out to left field to keep the frame scoreless. 
 
USF took a 2-0 lead in the second when Jacob Munoz homered and Thomas McCarthy scored Williams on a flyout after he doubled and moved to third on a previous groundout. Keaschall was put out at first to end the frame, leaving the Zags with ground to make up with the top of the rotation up to bat.

But USF collected three consecutive outs in the bottom of the frame, with a deep drive from Morrison to left field caught and Jack Machtolf and Mason Marenco grounding out to first in order. Gomez matched that feat in the third, collecting strikeouts from Darius Foster and Jordan Vujovich and a groundout from Jack Winkler to deny the Dons further momentum.


Rando connected on a deep right-field single that almost scored Yake from second in the bottom of the frame, but Yake was put out to end the inning after a well-timed throw got to home plate just in time. 
 
The Dons picked up their third run in the fifth off another flyout, this time from Winkler to push McCarthy home from third. A deep triple that was fumbled against the left field wall yielded three RBI to push the lead to six. A solo homer from Greim came in the sixth after another three-up, three-down frame for GU, and was followed by two more doubles and a score off a wild pitch from Rutherford that stretched the lead to double digits.


Naughton entered the game in the eighth after Rutherford held USF scoreless the frame previous, striking out two but giving up USF's 11th run — a right-field single from Christian Stapleton that scored Keaschall's third run.
 
Rando singled in the bottom of the inning and Andrew Orzel followed up with another deep double that nearly earned Rando a run, but another tagout at home from a long throw preserved the shutout before Kanta Kobayashi flew out to head into the final inning.
 
Jessee took the mound in the ninth less than 24 hours after earning the win in the Bulldogs' comeback and swiftly retired the side without a hit. Alex Zerfass, Ryan Sullivan, Tyler Stone and Ernie Yake all singled in succession at the bottom of the inning to load the bases and Harris was walked to push the Zags' first run through with two outs, but Rando was put out at first in the next at-bat to end the game.
 
Inside the Series
 
The Bulldogs' loss snaps a record run of five straight wins over USF, but GU still holds a 36-35-1 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams were tied up all-time heading this weekend.


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 four days before a home series with second-place San Diego (31-11, 17-7 WCC) that will determine the WCC champion and both teams' postseason fates. Even with the loss, GU remains two games ahead of the Toreros ahead of their matchup this weekend.


Follow the Game
 
Thursday's series opener is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch, with game two on Friday at the same time and Saturday's regular-season finale at noon. Live streaming will be available via the WCC Network. Check GoZags.com for up-to-date game day information, live stats and more.