Gonzaga tops BYU 13-1

PROVO, Utah - The Gonzaga Bulldogs used a stellar pitching effort and two big innings to take down the BYU baseball team 13-1 on Friday at Miller Park.

 

Gonzaga’s starting pitcher Marco Gonzales was dominant on the mound for the Zags (33-22, 13-10). Gonzales went eight scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and striking out 12 Cougars (22-26, 10-13) for the win. He also went 2 for 3 at the plate with two RBI and a run scored, helping Gonzaga score 10 runs in a two-inning span.

 

Outfielder Kelton Caldwell was a bright spot in BYU’s lineup, collecting three of the Cougars' five total hits. Caldwell also scored BYU’s only run of the ballgame, coming in from third on a wild pitch in the ninth inning. Marc Oslund took the loss for the Cougars, going five innings, giving up six runs, four of them earned on nine hits.

 

The Zags struck first in the top of the third with two unearned runs. An errant throw put a runner on second base and a double drove them in. While trying to take third base on a wild pitch, Alex Stanford came home on another wild throw to make it 2-0.

 

Oslund saved a run from the mound with his glove in the top of the fourth inning. With a Gonzaga runner on third and two outs the right-hander plucked a line-drive coming right back at him for the third out.

 

After Gonzaga added another run on two hits in the top of the fifth inning, Gonzales helped himself at the plate with a two-run single to left to give the Zags a 5-0 lead. Gonzales came home on a double from the next batter for another run.

 

The top of the sixth inning was a forgettable one for the Cougars, giving up six runs, two of them unearned, on four hits. Gonzaga took a 12-0 lead after the big inning. Eleven batters came to the plate in the inning for the Zags, who added another run in the top of the seventh.

 

BYU will play its final game of the season at Miller Park on Saturday, May 26, at 1 p.m. MT. The game will be televised live on BYUtv.