Gonzaga suffers close loss to Oregon State
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 months AGO
The Bulldogs gave top ranked Oregon State everything they had but still fell short after 12 innings.
COURTESY PHOTO/GONZAGA ATHLETICS
CORVALLIS, Oregon – The Gonzaga Bulldogs (18-18) fell to .500 after a competitive 4-3 loss to third-ranked Oregon State (31-7) after battling it out through 12 innings, according to a statement by Gonzaga Athletics.
Tommy Eisenstat put the Bulldogs on the board first in the top of the second, blasting his fourth home run of the season to give GU a 1-0 lead. The Beavers responded with two in the bottom of the third to vault back in front 2-1.
GU threatened in the fifth, loading the bases with one out after a Luca DiPaolo RBI double knotted the score at two. Gage Mestas wore a slider off his helmet with the bases loaded to put Gonzaga back in front 3-2, but a big double play from the OSU defense ended the threat.
An RBI double from Canon Reeder in the seventh put the game at a 3-3 deadlock, one that would last nearly five full innings.
Oregon State put the go-ahead run on third base in the eighth, but a hustle play from DiPaolo on a wild pitch caught the runner trying to advance, ending the frame and keeping the score at a 3-3 tie.
Gonzaga's bullpen combined for 7.2 innings, allowing just two earned runs on nine hits, striking out 12. Despite nine walks, the Zags escaped the ninth, tenth, and 11th innings, leaving the winning run in scoring position with inning-ending strikeouts.
The Bulldogs' luck ran out in the 12th as Kai Francis (L, 0-1) looked to escape another Oregon State threat. A strikeout opened the frame, then a single, walk, strikeout, and walk loaded the bases for OSU as Talt stepped to the plate. Francis, just one strike away from escaping the frame, induced a slow-rolling ground ball that found its way into a pocket of the Gonzaga infield, allowing the winning run to score.
Despite the 12-inning affair, GU collected just seven hits in the loss. Beaver pitching collected 16 strikeouts, one more than the Gonzaga pitching staff's 15. OSU walked just four, which made the ultimate difference against the Bulldogs' 11.
Gonzaga will get another crack at the third-ranked Beavers on Tuesday at 2:05 p.m. The game will stream on Portland's CW and Pac-12 Insider from Goss Stadium.
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