MORAGA, Calif.- Gonzaga Baseball (23-14, 12-3 WCC) continued their winning ways with a 6-5 victory over Saint Mary's (22-17, 8-7 WCC) to secure a second straight WCC series sweep.
The Zags secured the win with phenomenal defense and pitching, holding the Gaels to just one inning of scoring. The bulldog bullpen held Saint Mary's scoreless for the final six frames. Joe Thornton picked up the win, with the left hander tossing 3.1 scoreless innings while allowing just one baserunner. Thornton struck out five batters in relief.
Gonzaga now has the second longest active win streak in Division 1 baseball, having won their past ten games. They have won 19 of their past 22 games and currently lead the WCC standings with a 12-3 conference record. In addition to securing a second straight weekend sweep, GU has now won six straight weekend series.
Noah Meffert opened the scoring in the second inning, hitting a ball over 400 feet to dead center when he drilled a home run off of the batter's eye to give Gonzaga the lead. Gonzaga tacked on another four runs the following inning, loading the bases with a Mikey Bell leadoff double followed by a single by Ryder Young and a Maddox Haley walk. Hudson Shupe hit a double down the left field line that got stuck in the fence for a ground rule double, driving in Bell and Young. A sacrifice fly and a groundout then drove in Haley and Shupe to extend the lead to five to nothing.
Saint Mary's rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the third, loading the bases before their cleanup batter drove in three runs on a double of his own. SMC's Jacob Johnson then homered to right field to tie the game at five apiece.
Gonzaga retook the lead in the fifth inning thanks to another solo home run, as Haley hit his ninth home run of the year on a deep shot to left field that left the park and appeared to get stuck in the top of a tree. The Gaels almost tied the game in the bottom of the inning, as Noah Meffert made a tremendous leaping grab up the right field wall to rob a home run and keep the lead for Gonzaga.
Thornton's incredible performance in relief kept the lead for the Zags, retiring the first eight batters he faced. Landon Hood was brought in to the bottom of the eighth in a big spot, as Saint Mary's had worked two walks from Erik Hoffberg with two outs. Unfazed by the moment, the freshman immediately struck out the batter looking on three pitches. Hood then closed out the ninth, ending the game on another strikeout to secure the win.
Gonzaga Baseball will continue their road stretch with a midweek game at Washington State, set for 6pm on Tuesday.
