SURPRISE, Ariz. — After going the first eight innings without scoring in its first game of the day, Gonzaga baseball wasted no time in pouring on the offense against New Mexico in game two Saturday at Surprise Stadium, putting 10 runs on the board in the first four innings en route to a 12-2 win that secured a season sweep against the Lobos (0-3).
Grayson Sterling (3 runs, 3 RBI) led with three hits and Shea Kramer (2 runs, 3 RBI), Ezra Samperi (2 runs, 3 RBI), Mason Marenco (2 runs, 2 RBI) and Logan Johnstone (1 RBI) all finished with 2 hits apiece for Bulldogs (2-1), which cracked double digits for the second game in a row after outhitting Oregon State 14-10 in the first game of the day. Three other GU batters got a knock apiece to round out another 14-hit outing.
LHP Bradley Mullan put in a strong six innings in his first start for the Bulldogs (2-1), holding the Lobos to just four hits and two runs in that span while striking out two and walking two more.
RHP Kai Francis took over in the seventh, making his Zags debut in shutdown fashion. The freshman struck out four through the eighth, holding the Lobos hitless in those frames while only throwing 30 pitches — 20 of which were strikes. Coming in to close the game, Nate Wheeldreyer struck out two more in another hitless frame to slam the door on any hopes of a last-gasp comeback.
"Proud of our group today," said GU Head Coach Mark Machtolf. "That wasn't a very representative effort in game one, but I'm proud of our guys' ability to have a short memory and play a good game tonight.
"Another opportunity tomorrow and I'm anxious to see how our team responds."
The Action
GU's hitters got off to a hot start in the first, carrying over the momentum from a five-run fifth that closed the game against the Beavers a little over two hours prior to an explosive four-run start that immediately made the game feel lopsided. After Enzo Apodaca and Sterling drew walks in succession and Stephen Lund connected on a single, Samperi advanced to first on a fielder's choice that got the first run through. A double from Kramer and a triple from Johnstone hauled in three more runs before a flyout from McGee got the Lobos out of the frame.
After UNM's Cole Posey doubled to left center and a groundout got him to third to put Mullan in a bind in the bottom of the third, the 6'3 lefty got his first K with a fastball to catch Kyle Landers swinging and get out of the jam with minimal damage.
The Bulldogs put together another explosive inning in the top of the fourth, bringing in six more runs. After a Cade McGee double and a Connor Coballes single on a fielding error, Lobos pitcher Miguel Reyes Jr. departed the game. Apodaca bunted and beat out the throw to first to load the bases next, with no outs on the board and another opportunity for more runs. Up next, Grayson Sterling obliged, launching a deep double into left center that cleared the bases and scored all three for a 7-1 advantage.
After Samperi reached first on a fielding error next, pushing Sterling to third, Kramer connected on his third double of the weekend to score Sterling and threaten to bring in more, with just one out still on the board. A single from Marenco did just that, scoring Samperi and Kramer to crack double-digit runs for the first time this season.
Mullan kept rolling in the bottom of the frame with a 1-2-3 inning, inducing a groundout, a flyout and putout at first in succession. He followed that up with another quick hitless fifth that saw two outfield snags from Marenco and another putout at first.
The Lobos started to generate some more offense in the sixth, with Lenny Ashby singling, advancing on a wild pitch and getting UNM's second run across on a dropped fly, but Jake Silverman lined into a 6-4 double play to end the frame without any more damage.
McGee and Coballes were both hit by pitches in succession to start the seventh, and Apodaca followed with a groundout into a double play that moved McGee to third. Sterling collected a walk and Lund became the third Zags batter hit by a pitch that frame to load the bases with two outs, but a groundout from Samperi got the Lobos out of another perilous situation without extending the lead any further.
Taking the mound in his first collegiate game as a reliever, Francis immediately went to work, striking out the first three batters he faced. The 6-3 freshman kept the Lobos hitless through the rest of the eighth, weathering another dropped fly that got Jeffrey David to second and a stolen third base while striking out one more.
After two GU groundouts in the top of the ninth, Sterling connected on his second double of the game and Lund drew a walk before Samperi slammed a deep RBI triple that reached the outfield wall and scored them both, bringing the Zags' lead to 10.
Coming in to close the final frame, Wheeldreyer induced a fly to Sterling in right field and struck out two more Lobos batters to put the finishing touches on the win.
Play of the Game
Series at a Glance
With the win, Gonzaga is now 8-4 against the Lobos all-time, having won four straight. Their last six matchups have all been neutral site games at Surprise Stadium, of which the Zags have won five.
Up Next
The Zags get a rematch with Oregon State on Sunday for their final game of the Sanderson Ford Collegiate Baseball Classic, with RHP Trystan Vrieling set to get the start on the mound against Beavers RHP Brock Townsend.
Follow the Game
Sunday's finale at Surprise Stadium is scheduled for an 11 a.m. PST start. Live stats and streaming options are available on GoZags.com — follow @zagbaseball on Instagram and Twitter for live updates, highlights and more.
