SPOKANE, Wash- Gonzaga Baseball (13-14) dropped the first home WCC game of the season, allowing Pepperdine (10-19) to take the first game of the series 5-2.

Pepperdine got a career best outing from Casey Euper, who threw for a career high seven innings while only allowing four hits. Euper had never thrown five or more innings in a game in his career prior to tonight. Euper allowed only two runs, both of which were unearned.

Gonzaga got a solid relief appearance from Mickey McClaskey, who threw 3.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. McClaskey struck out five batters while allowing only four total baserunners. McClaskey struck out the final batter of three different innings.

Pepperdine got on the board in the top of the first inning, scoring a run on a pair of doubles. The Waves scored another three runs in the following frame, taking advantage of a hit and back to back walks to load the bases before clearing them with a three RBI double from Julian Nunez. The Zags got a run back in the bottom of the inning when Noah Meffert scored Tommy Eisenstat on a double. GU was held in check by Euper for the following four innings.

Pepperdine added a run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Gonzaga responded the next inning with a sacrifice fly of their own to hold the deficit steady. Despite a ninth inning double from Maddox Haley, the Zags were not able to mount a rally in the late innings.

Gonzaga will look to get a game back on Friday, when the teams meet again at 6pm.