By: Gonzaga Athletics
SPOKANE, Wash. - Both Clayton Eslick and Steven Halcomb hit a two-run homerun as Gonzaga University baseball downed University of San Francisco Saturday 9-5 at Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field. The Bulldogs made timely hits with runners on base and never trailed in the game.
Gonzaga improves to 11-5-1 overall and is 2-0 in West Coast Conference play. San Francisco drops to 7-11, 0-2 WCC.
It was the Bulldogs who struck first in the bottom of the first. Halcomb singled to left field to set the stage for the Bulldogs first homerun of the season. Eslick drove a ball over the left field fence off Dons starting pitcher Alex Balog giving GU the early 2-0 lead.
San Francisco scored in fourth but Gonzaga distanced themselves in the fifth and sixth innings.
Up 2-1 with bases load in the bottom of fifth, Eslick hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring home another run and his third RBI of the game. Brock Slavin would single in two more runs with two outs put give GU a 5-1 edge.
In the sixth, Mitchell Gunsolus singled in Payden Cawley Lamb before the Halcomb homerun. The Bulldogs tacked on three runs in the inning to go up 9-2.
Zag starter Tyler Olson (3-1) picked up the victory by throwing 6.1 innings and striking out five Dons. Balog for USF picked up the loss.
Kenny Smith relieved Olson and pitched 2.2 innings of three hit ball.
Overall offensively the Zags scored its nine runs on 10 hits leaving only three runners on base.
Gonzaga will go for the series sweep over the Dons Sunday at noon. On the mound for the Bulldogs will be Derek Callahan (1-0, 2.91 ERA) and his opponent will be Christian Cecilio.
