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Zags Hold Off Pacific to Clinch WCC Series, 4-3

Deschryver goes career-high seven innings in start

Box Score SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga Baseball clinched its West Coast Conference series with Pacific in Saturday's Game Two at Hertz Field and Patterson Baseball Complex, going ahead with a three-run sixth and holding on with tight defense over the last three frames for a 4-3 win.

RHP Nathan Deschryver went a career-high seven frames in his seventh start of the season, holding the Tigers () to three earned runs on six hits during his time on the mound while striking out six and walking three to earn the win and move to 4-4 in games of record. LHP Bradley Mullan (1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H) and RHP Ty Buckner (1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 K) closed things out, with Buckner earning his third save of the season in the process.

The Bulldogs (16-24, 12-8 WCC) picked up five hits in the winning effort – all from different players. Brian Kalmer went 1-for-2 and drew two walks, scoring two runs in the process, and Connor Coballes, Sam Stem, Enzo Apodaca (1 RBI) and Ezra Samperi (1 RBI) adding a hit each.

The Zags have a chance to secure their second series sweep of the season in Sunday's finale, with RHP Jacob Rutherford (4.67 ERA, 3-0, 52.0 IP, 47 K) set to start on the mound against RHP Marcus Guarin (6.00 ERA, 0-6, 39.0 IP, 40 K).

ALL-TIME SERIES AT A GLANCE
With the win, the Bulldogs are 24-6 against the Tigers since 2000 and 20-3 against them in conference matchups, having won eight straight in a streak that dates back to 2019. GU swept the last two series with the Tigers in Stockton and Spokane, respectively.

THE ACTION
GU got on the board early after Deschryver got out of a bases-loaded jam with a foulout – Kalmer drew a two-out Walk and Stem pushed him to third with a single, with a walk on Eisenstat generating a wild pitch that gave him time to get across for GU's first run before Apodaca grounded out to strand the other two.

After two scoreless innings for both teams, the Tigers got two runners in scoring position with one out in the fourth and took their first lead on a pair of sacrifice plays and a single that yielded three runs before Deschryver could induce a flyout to center to end the frame.

Even as GU's bats went hitless over the next two frames, Deschryver returned to form with two more scoreless innings to keep things tight, retiring six of the next eight batters he faced without walking any.

The Zags finally strung together some productive at-bats in the sixth with a rally cued by a leadoff single through the gaps from Kalmer. Eisenstat drew a one-out walk after Stem flew out to push Kalmer to scoring position and Apodaca followed with a single to left to juice the bases with two outs to give. Up next, Pinales came through with a sac fly to cut the deficit to one and push Eisenstat to third with two outs, and Samperi followed with a left-field single that tied things up. A wild pitch gave Apodaca time to get across for the go-ahead and Samperi stole third to threaten further, but Dunn popped up to keep GU's lead at one.

Coming out for a career-high seventh inning of work, Deschryver remained just as effective, ending his time on the mound with a 1-2-3 innings that included two flyouts and a groundout that Coballes transferred to first.

McGee drew a walk in the bottom of the frame and reached second on a wild pitch to maintain the momentum, with Kalmer drawing another and both advancing on another wild pitch with two outs on the board after Stem flew out. Eisenstat drew a walk to load the bases for the second consecutive frame, but a grounder from Apodaca stranded all three.

Mullan took the mound for the eighth, inducing the first out with a shallow grounder before Coballes, Pinales and Kalmer stitched an inning-ending double play to get him out of trouble after a single pushed a runner to third. Pinales drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the frame and reached scoring position on a groundout, but was put out at third for the second out. With deuces wild, Dunn drew a walk and Coballes followed with a base knock, but McGee flew out to strand the runners yet again.

With three outs to go, Buckner entered the game and tossed a clean inning to earn his third save of the season, opening with a punchout and fielding a grounder himself for the first two outs before back-to-back singles pushed a runner to third and threatened to force extra innings. Buckner responded with his second punchout of the inning on three straight strikes to end the game and secure the series win.

UP NEXT / FOLLOW THE ACTION
The Zags have a chance to secure their second series sweep of the season in Sunday's finale, with RHP Jacob Rutherford (4.67 ERA, 3-0, 52.0 IP, 47 K) set to start on the mound against RHP Marcus Guarin (6.00 ERA, 0-6, 39.0 IP, 40 K).Live stats and streaming options are available on GoZags.com — follow @ZagBaseball on Instagram and Twitter for live updates, highlights and more.
 
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Players Mentioned

Enzo Apodaca

#3 Enzo Apodaca

OF
5' 9"
Redshirt Sophomore
Nate DeSchryver

#20 Nate DeSchryver

RHP
6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
Bradley Mullan

#44 Bradley Mullan

LHP
6' 3"
Junior
Jacob Rutherford

#38 Jacob Rutherford

RHP
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Ezra  Samperi

#15 Ezra Samperi

C
5' 8"
Senior
Connor Coballes

#4 Connor Coballes

SS
5' 11"
Senior
Ty Buckner

#25 Ty Buckner

RHP
6' 1"
Graduate Student
Brian Kalmer

#32 Brian Kalmer

INF
6' 2"
Junior
Sam Stem

#37 Sam Stem

OF
6' 1"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Enzo Apodaca

#3 Enzo Apodaca

5' 9"
Redshirt Sophomore
OF
Nate DeSchryver

#20 Nate DeSchryver

6' 3"
Redshirt Freshman
RHP
Bradley Mullan

#44 Bradley Mullan

6' 3"
Junior
LHP
Jacob Rutherford

#38 Jacob Rutherford

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
RHP
Ezra  Samperi

#15 Ezra Samperi

5' 8"
Senior
C
Connor Coballes

#4 Connor Coballes

5' 11"
Senior
SS
Ty Buckner

#25 Ty Buckner

6' 1"
Graduate Student
RHP
Brian Kalmer

#32 Brian Kalmer

6' 2"
Junior
INF
Sam Stem

#37 Sam Stem

6' 1"
Freshman
OF