by Brad Wall
MORAGA, Cali. – Gonzaga was unable to overcome the early-striking St. Mary's offense Friday afternoon, falling behind by six runs early and ultimately losing 6-4.
St. Mary's got it going in the bottom of the first getting their first two batters on base as Donald Collins was walked on four balls and Ricky Boas reached on an error by Alex Stanford. After Zags' starting pitcher Tyler Olson struck out Collin Ferguson, Patrick Wisdom put the Gaels on the board with a double down the right field line scoring Collins. Brenden Kalfus singled to center to bring home Boas for an unearned run and a 2-0 early lead. Olson got himself out of the jam by grounding Greg Ditmer into a double play.
With a chance to end the inning with a runner on first the Bulldogs committed an error to extend the inning, this one by Shortstop Steven Halcomb. The second error in as many innings allowed Collins to reach base safely while Toby DeMello advanced to second with two outs. Saint Mary's made Gonzaga pay again with a 2 RBI double by Boas to double the Gael's lead 4-0 with three of the four runs being unearned.
St. Mary's got a third consecutive two-run inning with a two-out double by DeMello to score Chris Murphy and Kalfus and extend their lead to six.
After five scoreless innings where a runner didn't even manage to reach third base, Gonzaga struck back in the sixth. Marco Gonzales singled to leadoff the inning and after a Halcomb pop-out Clayton Eslick also singled. Royce Bolinger erased the zero off of the scoreboard and drove in Gonzales with a single up the middle. Alex Stanford was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with one out. Payden Cawley Lamb stroked a single to left field to bring in Eslick. Bolinger then scored on a fielder's choice on Brock Slavin, cutting the Bulldogs' deficit to three. Mitchell Gonsolus struck out with runners on third and second to end the Zag's breakout inning.
Gonzaga added another run in the seventh on a one out Bolinger bases loaded sacrifice fly, scoring Gonzales. Stanford struck out to end the inning.
The Gaels retired six of the next seven Bulldog batters to close the game out.
Olson pitched the entire game for the Zags, throwing eight innings and allowing six runs (three earned, three unearned) on eight hits with six strikeouts. After giving up the six runs, he held the Gaels scoreless for the remainder of the game
St. Mary's starter Martin Agosta threw for 6 1/3 innings allowing four runs on nine hits. Reliever Patrick Keane pitched the rest of the way giving up only one hit and striking out four in 2 and 2/3 innings of work.
Gonzaga (27-17, 7-9 WCC) will take the field for game two of the series with Saint Mary's tomorrow at 1 p.m.
