LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Needing a win to keep their season alive on Wednesday, Gonzaga powered past Santa Clara for a 9-4 win at Las Vegas Ballpark to advance to the Second Round of the West Coast Conference Tournament. The Zags will turn around to face top-seeded San Diego on Thursday at 3pm.
 
After a pair of scoreless frames on both sides to open the contest, Santa Clara (26-26) struck first on Wednesday evening in the top of the third, but Gonzaga (20-30) bounced right back with one of their own in the bottom half of the inning before posting five runs in the fourth to open a 6-1 lead.
 
Hudson Shupe put the Bulldogs on the board in the third when he punched a two-strike pitch down the left field line that skated all the way into the corner for an RBI triple. Then in the fourth, Donovan Ratfield gave GU their first lead of the night on a double down the right field line before singles from Hank Dunn and Josh Hankins blew the game open. Hankins' single came with the bases loaded and looked to plate just one run, but an errant throw by Santa Clara cleared the bases on the play.
 
After the Broncos put answered with one in the fifth, Gonzaga got that run right back in the sixth on a wild pitch that brought home Tyler Griggs. The Zags would add another in the seventh to make it 8-2, but Santa Clara threatened in the eighth after Gonzaga called on their bullpen. SCU scored twice in the inning but Payton Graham would quiet the rally after entering with traffic on the basepaths.
 
GU picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth before Graham shut the door in the top of the ninth, utilizing the team's second double play of the game and a strikeout to complete the 9-4 win.
 
Justin Feld (W, 4-2) threw seven strong innings in his start for Gonzaga on Wednesday, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out seven Santa Clara batters. On the offensive side, the Zags benefited from hits in every spot in the lineup, including a combined 8-for-18, three runs batted in, and eight runs scored by numbers five through nine. Ratfield and Shupe each collected three hits, while Griggs added two of his own in the nine-hole.
 
UP NEXT
Gonzaga now enters the double-elimination portion of the WCC Tournament and will play a guaranteed two more games beginning on Thursday against top-seeded San Diego at 3pm. The winner will move into the semifinals on Friday while the loser drops into the loser's bracket. Follow @ZagBaseball on social media for all the latest updates, and check gozags.com for results and streaming information.