SPOKANE, Wash. – Looking to win their fourth straight West Coast Conference series and reclaim first place in the WCC standings, Gonzaga's bats came alive on Sunday to defeat Portland 13-9 at Patterson Baseball Complex and Coach Steve Hertz Field. The Bulldogs trailed 6-1 in the third inning, but after a five-run frame, they knotted the score and never looked back.
Gonzaga (16-20, 12-3 WCC) is now in sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference and would hold the tiebreaker over Portland (23-14, 9-3 WCC) if needed down the stretch.
Similar to Saturday night, Portland took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Zags would respond with one in the bottom half of the inning, but four more Pilot runs in the second and third put Gonzaga in a 6-1 hole.
The Bulldogs would not be turned away, as they erased the deficit with five runs in the third to knot the score at six.
Jordan Hamberg plated two runs on a ball that split the right-center alley, and
Donovan Ratfield drove in a pair on a two-run single. The Zags' fifth run of the inning came home on a Ratfield delayed steal, allowing
Josh Hankins to swipe home on the throw.
Gonzaga added three runs on back-to-back-to-back plays in the fourth when Hamberg doubled once again, scoring
Payton Knowles from second before a Portland error and
Josh Hankins sacrifice fly put GU up 9-6.
A back-and-forth battle ensued with the Pilots responding to tie the game at nine after plating three runs of their own in the fifth. The Zags didn't flinch. A
Hudson Shupe double and a Knowles single put the home team back on top almost immediately.
Treyson Peters (S, 1) entered in the top of the sixth after Portland put two runners on right away. Looking to extinguish another Pilot rally, Peters worked out of the jam without allowing a run, and over the final four innings on Sunday, held Portland scoreless while surrendering just two hits to pick up his first career save.
The Zags provided some insurance in the seventh with a three-spot after Shupe and Knowles smashed back-to-back RBI doubles, before Eisenstat drove in Knowles with a single to make it 13-9 Gonzaga. Peters allowed just one baserunner in the final two innings to help seal the series win.
UP NEXT
Gonzaga will begin an eight-game road stint on Tuesday, first taking on Washington State at Bailey-Brayton Field at 6pm. The Zags will then head to San Diego for yet another crucial West Coast Conference series starting Friday. Follow @ZagBaseball on social media for all the latest updates, and check gozags.com for results and streaming information.
