SAN DIEGO- Gonzaga Baseball (8-12) picked up a dramatic comeback win over San Diego (8-13) thanks to a three run home run in the ninth inning.
Ryder Young came up to bat with two outs and two men on base with the Zags trailing by a run in the ninth. He hit a clutch home run to left field to put Gonzaga up 7-5 and finally complete a comeback that came down to the last possible batter.
Gonzaga hit four home runs tonight, with six of the team's seven runs being driven in on a deep ball. Mikey Bell hit two solo home runs and scored three runs to help set the stage for Young's big home run.
San Diego opened the game with two runs in the bottom of the first after they loaded the bases with two straight hit batters and a walk. Maddox Haley got the Zags offense started with a solo home run in the top of the second inning. USD responded by scoring two more runs in the bottom of the second on a throwing error and a wild pitch from GU.
Hudson Shupe had a triple to lead off the third inning, scoring thanks to a sacrifice fly by Bo Shinkle. San Diego scored what would prove to be their final run of the game in the third inning on another throwing error.
Both of Bell's home runs combined to cut the lead down to just one run after he went deep in the sixth and eighth innings. Bell also scored as the tying run on Young's homer after he was intentionally walked to bring up Young.
The Gonzaga bullpen came up huge in the game, with Joe Thornton giving up just the one unearned run and only two across five innings of work. Justin Feld got credit for the win for his perfect inning of relief in the eighth, while Zach Bowman picked up his first save of the year after closing the ninth in another perfect inning.
Gonzaga Baseball will return to the diamond at 1pm on Sunday, looking to continue to bring the energy from tonight's win to the series finale with San Diego.
