EUGENE, Ore. — No. 2 seed Gonzaga got their NCAA Regional run started with a win over a perennial baseball power on Friday evening, topping No. 3 seed LSU 3-0 at PK Park behind a dominant start from Alek Jacob on the mound that culminated in his second complete game of the season.
 
The 6'3 righty finished with nine strikeouts in the nine-inning effort, only being tagged for four hits and one walk all night. He also cracked the top ten in program history for strikeouts in a single season, moving to eighth all-time with 112.
 
LSU ace Landon Marceux (5.2 IP, 3 K, 7 hits, 3 earned runs) kept the Bulldogs off the board for four innings after a two-run second spurred by RBI singles from Guthrie Morrison and Ernie Yake, but they got at least one runner on base in each frame before a wild double and ensuing inning-ending putout from Brett Harris in the sixth scored Jack Machtolf and made it 3-0 going into the seventh.
 
"Obviously it was just a dominating pitching performance by Alek," said Head Coach Mark Machtolf. "He was just sharp the whole night. I thought our hitters did a good job against their starter — he's very, very good, and we had pressure on him every inning."
 
The Bulldogs didn't score again, but they didn't need to — Jacob only accelerated as the game progressed, picking up five of his strikeouts in his last three innings on the mound, all hitless, to close the game emphatically.
 
"I feel like I was just challenging them, making them hit my stuff," Jacob said. "I mean, that's pretty important — not getting into hitters counts, just jumping up on guys, messing with timing, just keeping them off balance really is the biggest thing. If they're uncomfortable up there, then that's a big advantage for me."
 
Harris (one RBI), Yake (one RBI), Grayson Sterling (one run) and Guthrie Morrison (one run, one RBI) generated all eight hits for the Zags with two apiece, with GU batters picking up seven walks to round out the 3-0 victory.
 
The win is GU's third win in the opening game of an NCAA Regional since 2009, and it sets them up with a matchup with Regional host and No. 1-seed Oregon on Saturday. The Zags have previously picked up victories against No. 2-seeded Georgia Southern in the Fullerton Regional in 2009 followed by a 5-1 victory over No. 2-seeded Arizona State in the Fort Worth Regional in 2016.
 
The Action
 
After a strikeout, a flyout and a pickoff to first kept the Tigers scoreless in the first, Jacob induced three popups in the second to set down the Tigers' order in succession in the top of the second to keep the score blank. 
 
The Zags broke through in the bottom of the frame, taking a 2-0 lead while getting four runners on base. Grayson Sterling led off with a deep triple that barely evaded Giovanni DiGiacomo, and Morrison singled to drive him home for the first run of the game. Mason Marenco was walked next to push Morrison to second, and Yake doubled down the right field line to get him home for a two-run advantage before a flyout from Harris ended the inning.
 
GU drew closer again in the bottom of the third after Jacob threw another stifling one-hit frame, with Sterling and Morrison reaching base in succession to again move to second and first. The Tigers responded with their most threatening inning of the game, loading the bases in the fourth with two outs to put Jacob in his first real perilous position of the game. But a popout that Morrison collected with ease in the outfield kept them scoreless yet again.
 
Regained command by Marceaux, paired with an increasingly assertive effort from Jacob, steadied the game for the next three frames until the Zags put up their third run in the sixth.
 
An eight-pitch Harris at-bat that ensued resulted in a rocket down the third base line scored Jack Machtolf, who was walked earlier in the inning, but Harris was thrown out at second to end the inning in a play that was reviewed by officials and upheld.
 
Yake came through yet again in the eighth, connecting on his second base hit of the night with two outs on the board and got all the way to third on a failed pickoff attempt before Harris drew a walk in the next at-bat to join him aboard. But the Zags couldn't capitalize after Rando fouled out past the right field line to end the inning.
 
Jacob finished the ninth with his fourth-straight hitless inning, striking out two more swinging before Harris corralled a grounder to first to close the game with GU headed to the winner's bracket.
 
Up Next/NCAA Regional Outlook
 
The Zags will face No. 1 seed Oregon (38-14) tomorrow for their second game of the Eugene Regional after the Ducks' 13-10 win over fourth-seeded Central Connecticut State set up a matchup between the region's top two seeds. A win over Oregon — in its first NCAA Tournament since 2015 and hosting its first regional since 2013 — would push GU within one win of advancing to its first-ever Super Regional. 
 
RHP William Kempner (3-2, 3.18 ERA, 39.2 IP, 33K) is expected to start on the mound against Ducks LHP Robert Ahlstrom (8-3, 2.41 ERA, 82.0 IP, 86K).
 
Follow the Game
 
Saturday's matchup is set for a 7 p.m. first pitch inside PK Park; the game is set to be broadcast on ESPNU. Live stats and streaming options are available on GoZags.com.