SPOKANE, Wash. — In its West Coast Conference series opener with Santa Clara Friday evening, No. 10 Gonzaga overcame a late deficit in dramatic fashion with a two-run walkoff single from Dylan Johnson for a 3-2 win.
RHP Gabriel Hughes went seven frames while getting the start on the mound, striking out seven and holding the Broncos scoreless over his final five frames of work despite a rocky start that saw SCU put up two quick runs on three hits in the second frame. RHP Alec Gomez earned his second win of the season in two scoreless innings of relief, setting the Zags up for the comeback while inducing three flyouts and three grounders.
The Bulldogs (30-13, 16-6 WCC) never led until the game-sealing single, managing three hits through the first eight frames before nearly doubling their offensive output in a final frame that moved the tying and winning runs to second and third before capitalizing late. Johnson (2 hits, 2 RBI) was one of two Zags to pick up multiple hits along with Grayson Sterling (2 hits, 1 R), who scored the tying run in the ninth. Shea Kramer (1 R, 1 RBI) rounded out a muted night for GU's offense.
The Action
After a scoreless first, the Broncos connected on a pair of singles and drew a walk to load the bases with one out, and they didn't wait to capitalize. Another base knock, this time from Cal Christofori, brought two runs across, but Hughes managed to halt any further advance despite runners on first and third with a K and a groundout that ended the frame.
The Zags got their first two hits of the game in the fourth, with Pinales leading off the frame with a single and Sterling singling again to load the bases with one out after McGee was walked. A groundout from Kramer got Pinales across to cut the deficit to one, but a flyout from Coballes kept GU from plating an equalizing run.
Hughes continued to pick up steam through the rest of his time on the mound, retiring 17 of the next 20 batters he faced, culminating in a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh before Gomez entered the game in the eighth. After another scoreless standstill in the eighth left the Zags with just three outs to make something happen.
Sterling split the gaps in the outfield with a deep double to lead off the frame and Shea Kramer was walked in the ensuing at-bat to board the tying and winning runs without any outs on the board. Coballes laid down a sac bunt to move them to third and second with Johnson up to bat. Johnson delivered the game-winning knock on just his sixth hit of the season, plating Sterling with ease and giving Kramer room to slide in and seal the come-from-behind victory.
Series at a Glance
With the win, the Zags have a 50-28 edge in the series since 2000, having won the last six meetings. The Zags swept last season's series in Santa Clara (2-0, 10-4 in 13 innings, and 5-2). Until today, the programs had not met in Spokane since 2018, where GU has won each series since 2011.
WCC Outlook
GU's comeback win dashed San Diego's hopes of moving into within a game of first place in the WCC Standings. The Zags remain two games ahead of the Toreros (31-16, 16-8), who will not face a conference opponent this weekend.
Play of the Game
Up Next / Follow the Game
The Zags can clinch their eighth-straight West Coast Conference weekend series with a win on Saturday, with RHP Trystan Vrieling (4-2, 67.1 IP, 91 K, 3.61 ERA) set to get the start on the mound against SCU probable starter lefty Nick Sando (4-3, 48.1 IP, 73 K, 2.61 ERA).
