MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – After going seven consecutive frames without plating a run, Gonzaga Baseball exploded for four runs in the 15th inning to down Minnesota in the first of two midweek games at U.S. Bank Stadium, making sure that dominant outings from LHP
Matthew Mueller, LHP
Bradley Mullan and RHP
Nathan Deschryver didn't go to waste in the Bulldogs' longest game since last May.
Mueller's first career start was shutdown, with the true freshman posting career-highs of nine strikeouts over five frames of work, holding the Gophers scoreless through the rest of his time on the mound after they plated a pair of early runs in the bottom of the first. He was only tagged for four hits and one walk in that span.
Mullan kept the momentum going, keeping the Zags afloat going into extra innings with a career-high six scoreless frames of his own to go with four K's. Deschryver closed things out with four innings of work, allowing a pair of runs in the bottom of the 15th after three scoreless to start his time on the mound but getting the final out with his third strikeout of the day. Mueller, Mullan and Deschryver combined to keep UM scoreless for 13 consecutive innings after the Gophers' two-spot in the first.
Connor Coballes went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, scoring the tying run in the seventh and connecting on his second two-bagger in the 15th to drive in a pair of go-ahead runs.
Brian Kalmer went 4-for-7 with two RBI and a double and
Enzo Apodaca went 3-for-6 with a double of his own to go with a run and an RBI.
Grayson Sterling,
Sam Stem,
Brock Bozett,
Ezra Samperi and
Mason Marenco all added a knock apiece to round out a 14-hit night for the Zags, who were turned away with runners in scoring position three times in extra innings before finally breaking the game open over four hours after it began.
The Zags and Gophers will rematch tomorrow at 1 p.m. (PT).
The Action
The Zags plated the first run – the sixth time they've done so this season – after Apodaca and Kalmer smacked back-to-back doubles and Sterling made it three straight knocks with an RBI single that got Apodaca home from third, but Minnesota starter RHP Ben Shepard struck out Stem looking on three pitches and Pinales lined out to strand the pair of runners.
Mueller struck out Brett Bateman and generated a popup for his first two outs, but the Gophers took their first lead of the game on three consecutive hits of their own, with a double from Jake Perry yielding a pair of runs to put UM up 2-1. But the true freshman LHP picked up steam as his time on the mound continued, striking out the side in the second frame and tossing a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third to get to six K's on the day.
As Mueller continued to deal, notching his ninth strikeout of the outing in his fourth consecutive scoreless frame in the bottom of the fifth, the Zags didn't get anything going until the sixth, when Sterling was hit by a pitch to cue a two-out push – Stem dropped a single through the left side and Pinales drew a walk to load the bases for the first time of the game, but Johnson grounded out to end the frame with the Gophers still up one.
Mullan took over on the mound in the bottom of the inning, maintaining Mueller's momentum with a pair of K's and a lineout to keep UM scoreless for the fifth straight frame.
In the seventh, a pair of free passes got a GU runner in scoring position for the second straight frame, with Coballes drawing another walk and Apodaca hit by a pitch to put two on with the Zags' leading slugger Kalmer up to bat and cue a pitching change. RHP Kris Hokenson took over from Shepard, but it didn't matter - Kalmer drove a single up the middle to score Coballes from second and tie things up before
Alex Zerfass lined out to end the inning.
Mullan kept rolling with two more scoreless frames, striking out two in the seventh before inducing a grounder and a double play ball to end the eighth. Samperi drove an infield single to lead off the frame, and
Mason Marenco laid down a sac bunt to push him to scoring position in exchange for an out. Coballes came up with a hard-hit liner to short for the second out and Apodaca followed up with a single up the middle, but Samperi couldn't reach home before a throw to the plate gunned down what would've been the winning run.
UM threatened to end the game in a walkoff after a wild pitch moved Jake Perry to third with two outs, but Mullan kept the Zags alive by inducing a grounder that moved the game into extra innings.
After lineouts from Kalmer and Zerfass produced the first two outs of the tenth, Stem became the third Zag hit by a pitch, but Pinales grounded out for out No. 3. Another fruitless frame in the 11th brought up Mullan's sixth inning of relief, where he navigated his way out of yet another tough situation – this time a bases-loaded jam – with another grounder.
Coballes doubled to lead off the 12th – his first extra base hit of the season – with nobody out to threaten another go-ahead. Apodaca grounded out to push him to third and Kalmer was intentionally walked before Zerfass and
Hank Dunn struck out in succession to keep things knotted.
Deschryver entered the game next, keeping UM scoreless for three consecutive frames despite runners getting aboard in each – and the Zags finally came through with the run they needed in the top of the 15th. Pinales drew a leadoff walk and reached second on a passed ball, and Bozett worked from down 0-2 to get on base with another walk with nobody out. A sac bunt pushed both to third and second, and the Zags' top of the lineup erupted for the first time since the first frame of the game to put the Gophers away.
Coballes got things going with an RBI double to put GU up two, and Apodaca and Kalmer both singled back-to-back to drive in two more runs and extend the lead to four. A flyout moved Apodaca to third with two outs, but Dunn popped up to end the frame before the Zags could capitalize further.
The Gophers finally got to Deschryver, plating their first runs since the first inning of the game thanks to a pair of sac outs to cut the deficit to two before the righty struck out Brady Jurgella swinging to end the game.
Play of the Game
Up Next / Follow the Action
The Zags' second game with the Gophers is set for 1 p.m. (PT) tomorrow, with mound starters still TBD. Live stats and streaming options are available on GoZags.com — follow @ZagBaseball on Instagram and Twitter for live updates, highlights and more.
