STOCKTON, Calif. – No. 20 Gonzaga baseball struck first and held Pacific off late for the second day in a row in its series finale with the Tigers Sunday at Klein Family Field, securing a series sweep in their West Coast Conference opener with a 5-3 win. The win lifts the Bulldogs to 14-4 and 3-0 in WCC play.

Reigning WCC Pitcher of the Week Trystan Vrieling turned in another quality start in the Sunday spot, striking out 10 in 6.2 innings on the bump while holding the Tigers to one run on six hits and one walk. Relievers Nico Zeglin (1.1 IP) and Michael Spellacy (1IP) both struck out two apiece to close out the game, with a pair of solo homers being the Tigers' only hits in that span. Spellacy earned his fourth save of the season and second in as many days after closing out Saturday's win, and Vrieling got his second win in a start on the mound.

Grayson Sterling (2 runs, 1 RBI)  and Connor Coballes (1 run, 1 RBI) paced the Bulldogs' lineup with 3-for-4 performances at the plate, with Jack Machtolf delivering a team-high two RBI on two hits. As a team, GU cracked double-digit knocks for the second time this weekend with 10.

"Really happy to go on the road and get a big sweep to start conference play," said GU Head Coach Mark Machtolf. "Thought we had some timely hits early, and Vrieling gave us another really good start."

The Action
The Zags loaded the bases early in the first, and Cade McGee delivered the first RBI of the game with a sac fly that scored Tyler Rando. Sterling followed up with his first hit of the day, a single to center field that yielded a second run, but a groundout stranded two on base going into the bottom of the frame.

The first of Pacific's three solo homers came in the second from Brandon Motheral, but it would be the only run Vrieling would give up through the rest of his time on the mound. The Zags kept building a lead in the fourth when Jack Machtolf connected on a wall-grazing two-RBI double that made it a 4-1 ballgame, and Coballes delivered an RBI single that yielded run No. 5 in the sixth.
Zeglin and Spellacy combined to throw the rest of the game after Vrieling's exit midway through the sixth, allowing a solo homer each but getting two strikeouts apiece to keep the Tigers from completing a rally. 

Series at a Glance
With the sweep, the Bulldogs are 22-6 against the Tigers all-time and 18-3 against them in conference matchups, having won seven straight in a streak that dates back to 2019. GU swept the series in Spokane in 2021, recording two shutouts in the process with 9-0 and 6-0 wins in the first two games before a 2-1 win on Sunday. 

Up Next / Follow the Game
The Bulldogs host Oregon (13-6) in their Home Opener Tuesday at Patterson Baseball Complex and Steve Hertz Field at 3 p.m. Live stats and streaming options are available on GoZags.com — follow @zagbaseball on Instagram and Twitter for live updates, highlights and more.