BLACKSBURG, Va. — Gonzaga baseball fell behind with an explosive eight-run fourth frame and couldn't catch up in a Blacksburg Regional elimination game against Columbia Sunday at Atlantic Union Bank Park, falling 15-6 to bring an end to a historic season for the Bulldogs (37-19, 20-7 WCC).

"It certainly wasn't our day. We just didn't play clean enough baseball," said GU Head Coach Mark Machtolf. "We gave them 13 free bases, and then didn't hit enough in the third day of the regional. So once again, credit to them."

Playing in the final game of his collegiate career, Grad senior Shea Kramer was one of two Zags to pick up a pair of hits, finishing with 2 RBI in the process. Enzo Apodaca (2 R, 1 RBI) was the other, leading six other Bulldogs who picked up at least a hit in the 10-hit effort.

"I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to end my career with coming here," Kramer said. "It's been a roller coaster of a season for us. Danny [Evans] was the one who recruited me out of high school and he sent me the email when I was a graduate in the portal. And he's the one who brought me here. This season goes to him and these group of guys — from our coaching staff to every player on our team, it's just been unbelievable."

The Action

The Zags got a baserunner in the first frame for the first time this regional when Apodaca singled in the leadoff spot, with Rando connecting on a fielder's choice knock that advanced him to second with McGee up to bat. McGee singled to load the bases with one out on the board, and Sterling deposited a sac fly in deep center field to score Apodaca and push runners to second and third with a pair of outs. 

Vrieling got into some trouble in the bottom of the frame with runners on first and second, but picked up his first two K's of the day to keep the score blank. Jack Machtolf doubled to lead off the ensuing frame, but three straight outs with balls in play kept GU off the board.

A two-out wild pitch plated Columbia's first run of the game in the bottom of the frame, and a pair of two-run base hits made it a five-run frame to give the Lions the lead. Gomez entered the game at that point, inducing four straight groundouts to keep the Lions off the board going into the top of the fourth after a 1-2-3 inning for the Zags.

Another leadoff double — this time from Sterling — got GU another runner in scoring position, but Sterling was stranded on a groundout, a fly ball and a strikeout on Machtolf. The Lions responded with another huge frame to surge even further ahead, plating eight runs on xx hits before Jessee — who entered the game to replace Mullan, who replaced Gomez — induced a double play to end the inning.

With one out on the board in the top of the fifth, a throwing error on an attempted double play gave Apodaca time to get across and cut the lead down to single digits, but McGee flew out with Rando on second to halt any further advance. Jessee picked up some steam in the next frame, generating a pair of quick outs with balls in play before striking his way out for a hitless inning. 

After the Lions plated one more off Jessee in the sixth, the Zags put another run on the board and loaded the bases but ultimately came one out short of capitalizing.

Machtolf reached first on a passed ball after striking out and Samperi wore a HBP to push him to second without any outs. Apodaca singled in the next at-bat to get the deficit back to nine, and a fielder's choice play from Pinales got Samperi to third to threaten another. McGee drew a walk on a 10-pitch at-bat to load the bases with two outs, but Sterling grounded out to strand all three.

Zeglin struck out the first batter he faced to begin the eighth and Coballes and Kramer stitched a double play for a hitless frame, but a solo shot from Joshua Solomon brought the lead back to 10 in the ninth with three outs left to make up the difference.

Pinch hitting in his first at-bat of the Regional, Sam Canton slammed his first career homer in the top of the ninth and Mason Marenco and Logan Johnstone followed with a pair of singles. Jaxon Sorenson struck out in the ensuing at-bat to leave the Zags with just one more out, but Kramer loaded the bases with a fielder's choice knock that didn't produce an out before a lineout from Dylan Johnson brought an end to the season for one of the Zags' best teams in program history.