PHOENIX, Ariz. – Gonzaga Baseball looked in control for seven frames of the second leg of its weekend-opening doubleheader at Brazell Field on Saturday thanks to another impressive outing from Cade McGee and a shutdown start from RHP Owen Wild, but an 11-run explosion from Grand Canyon in the eighth frame sunk the Zags' hopes of going 2-0 on their first day in Phoenix as they fell 13-4.
GU defeated Ohio State earlier in the day, 11-9, for the Zags' first win of the season after falling behind 4-0 early but coming away with a two-run double in the 10th inning.
Wild (3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) was sharp in his second start on the mound, holding GCU to just one earned run in seven innings of work, including three consecutive hitless frames in the 5th-7th innings. But the Lopes (3-2) jumped on reliever Reagan Haas for seven hits and two walks along with a pair of costly errors that derailed the Zags (1-5).
The Bulldogs got to GCU starter Daniel Avitia early, plating runs in the second and fourth frames thanks to splashy performances from newcomers Tommy Eisenstat (1 H, 1 R) and Sam Stem (2 H, 1 RBI). Stem, a true freshman making his first career start, picked up a single and an RBI double in his first two at-bats to help the Zags set the tone early. Coming off a 4-for-5 performance in the first game of the day that included a pair of doubles and a homer, Cade McGee went 2-for-4, going yard again in the fifth frame with a two-run bomb that gave GU a 4-2 lead that held until GCU's dominant eighth.
The Bulldogs will rematch with GCU tomorrow at 1 p.m. for their third game in Phoenix.
The Action
Tommy Eisenstat, less than a couple hours after getting the game-winning knock against Ohio State, came up with GU's first hit of the night in the second frame after a hitless first from both teams. Stem, making his first start in a GU uniform, followed up with another to push him to third with nobody out. Ty Johnsen made good on the early advance in the next at-bat, grounding out to first to give Eisenstat time to put GU's first run on the board and get his first career RBI.
GCU found a response just as quickly in the bottom of the frame, with a double, a groundout and an RBI sac fly generating a tying run before Wild struck out GCU's Josh Buckley to end the frame.
Both teams traded 1-2-3 innings again in the third before Kalmer smacked his third double of the day to lead off the fourth to set the Zags up. After a flyout from Eisenstat, Stem came through again in the next at-bat with his second hit of the day, this time an RBI double to bring Kalmer in and retake the lead. After Sam Canton drew a two-out walk, Avitia exited the game, replaced by RHP Blake Reilly, who induced a grounder from Mason Marenco to keep the Zags from further advance.
But GCU immediately responded with the requisite run in the bottom of the frame again, this time with an error and back-to-back singles from Tyler Wilson and Cade Verdusco squeezing out the tying run to knot things up again at 2-all before Wild induced a pair of outs with balls in play.
The Zags kept plugging away in the sixth though, with Coballes drawing the leadoff walk and moving all the way to third on a throwing error and a grounder from Apodaca. Up next, Cade McGee slammed his second homer of the day – this time a soaring moonshot over left field – for his 10th RBI of the season and a 4-2 Zags lead.
Meanwhile, Wild continued to stifle the GCU lineup, striking out two more in his third consecutive 1-2-3 frame and his final on the mound to end the seventh. After Eisenstat and Stem were retired to open the eighth, Grayson Sterling drove a single deep to the left field corner, but a popup from Canton again kept the Zags from capitalizing.
The Lopes jumped on Haas when he entered in relief, capitalizing on a pair of errors along with seven hits and two walks to churn out 11 runs and change the complexion of the game entirely before Haas could get the third out.
The Zags didn't have enough time to mount a late comeback, with Marenco striking out and Coballes grounding out before Apodaca struck out as well to end the game.
Up Next
The Bulldogs are set to face Grand Canyon again tomorrow at 1 p.m., with LHP Bradley Mullan (3.1 IP, 0-1, 5.40 ERA) set to get the start on the mound vs. GCU RHP Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis (1.1 IP, 1-0, 0.00 ERA). Live stats and streaming options are available on GoZags.com — follow @ZagBaseball on Instagram and Twitter for live updates, highlights and more.
GAME ONE: GONZAGA 11, OHIO STATE 9 (10 INNINGS)
Gonzaga Baseball picked up its first win in its weekend opener against Ohio State Friday afternoon, rallying back from a first-inning grand slam to get back in the game with a four-run fifth and holding the Buckeyes (2-3) off late with some clutch two-out hitting in extra innings.
Cade McGee went 4-for-4, including a homer and a pair of doubles, to score four runs and drive in two more, with Brian Kalmer going 3-for-5 with two more doubles, an RBI and another run. Connor Coballes and Enzo Apodaca added a pair of hits each, with Apodaca scoring three runs and driving in two more with a double and a triple. Three more Zags picked up a knock apiece to round out a 14-hit effort – a mark GU cracked only 11 times in 2022.
RHP Payton Graham got the start on the mound, holding the Buckeyes scoreless in his final three innings of work after a grand slam put GU in an early hole. The true freshman finished with a pair of K's while being tagged for five runs – four earned – on six hits, walking three. RHP Kai Francis (1IP, 2H, 1ER, 2 K), Jack Moffitt (2.1IP, 0 H, 1ER, 2K) and Jacob Rutherford (2.2IP, 5H, 2ER, 1K) took it from there, with Rutherford earning the win after keeping OSU off the board and striking his way out of a crucial bottom of the 10th.
The Buckeyes' first-frame grand slam came after a pair of walks and a fielder's choice that loaded the bases with one out. Graham calmed things down in the next two at-bats, inducing a grounder and striking out Nick Erwin to end the frame.
After failing to get on base in the first two innings, the Zags started to find some rhythm at the plate in the third, getting on the board thanks to a double from Ezra Samperi – snapping a four-game hitless streak – and a single from Coballes that got Samperi across after he advanced to third on a grounder.
A pair of Buckeyes singles threatened a response in the bottom of the frame, but a double play ball got the Zags out of it with no further damage and the Bulldogs kept building in the fourth. McGee led off with a double and Kalmer followed with a single before a fielder's choice knock from Bozett plated a second run to cut the deficit to two.
After Marenco drew a walk and Coballes singled to pick up some more steam, the Bulldogs' bats jumped on a pitching change to explode for four runs and take control of the game in the fifth. Apodaca connected on the first pitch he saw for his second triple of the year to tie things up, and after another pitching change, McGee slammed a two-run homer to put GU ahead for the first time.
The Buckeyes weren't done just yet though, with Hank Thomas doubling to lead off the bottom of the inning to cue Francis taking the mound in relief. Thomas reached third and got home on a pair of wild pitches to plate the Buckeyes' first run since the bottom of the first, but Francis responded by striking out the next two batters he faced. A single from Erwin got another OSU runner aboard and a double from Mitchell Okuley put another run on the board before Okuley was thrown out at third to head into the sixth with the score once again knotted.
Entering the game in relief, Moffitt struck out the first two batters he faced to cool down the Buckeyes, wrapping up the hitless frame by inducing a fly ball to center.
The momentum carried into the seventh with three consecutive hits to lead off the frame from Apodaca, McGee and Kalmer – with Apodaca and Kalmer doubling – put the Zags back in the drivers' seat with nobody out and runners on second and third. Bozett added an insurance run with an RBI groundout to make it 8-6 before the Buckeyes could stop the bleeding with a K on Canton.
Moffitt kept things difficult for Ohio State in the seventh, tossing another hitless frame despite a HBP that got a runner aboard. He returned to the mound after the Buckeyes held GU off the board in the top of the eighth, collecting a groundout before Rutherford took his place. After a single from Josh McAlister pushed a runner to scoring position, a knock from Tyler Pettorini got one back for OSU but ultimately ended the frame with runners thrown out at second and home on the same play.
The Zags kept producing in the ninth, with McGee hit by a pitch to lead things off and Kalmer producing another double for yet another favorable situation with nobody out. Hank Dunn – who replaced Dylan Johnson in right field – grounded out and Bozett reached on an error, but McGee was put out at home to leave GU with runners at the corners and one out left to capitalize. Canton came through with a much-needed insurance run in the next at-bat, driving in an RBI single to bring the lead back to two.
After Marcus Ernst drew his third walk of the day to start off the bottom of the inning, the Buckeyes found an equalizer with a two-run slam from Kade Kern that threatened to end the game on a walkoff. But Rutherford managed to keep things knotted and force extra innings, inducing three consecutive outs with balls in play to keep things moving.
After a pair of quick outs to start the 10th, Apodaca drew a crucial walk to bring up McGee, who came up clutch yet again with a double to push him to third. Kalmer was intentionally walked before the next at-bat, loading the bases to bring up Tommy Eisenstat. Eisenstat delivered with a momentum-swinging double that brought in McGee and Apodaca and gave the Zags a two-run cushion to play with.
Rutherford remained on the mound for the final three outs, with a leadoff single from Erwin ultimately becoming a double-edged sword after Okuley connected on a double-play ball in the next at-bat. McAlister singled for the second time of the day to threaten again, but Rutherford struck out Pettorini to end the game and get the Zags into the win column.
