After Consecutive Run-Rules, Gonzaga Baseball Salvages Series vs. No. 13 Oklahoma
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Gonzaga Bulldogs pitcher Karsten Sweum (32) pitches against the Oklahoma Sooners at Kimrey Family Stadium. Credit: Gonzaga Athletics [/caption]
NORMAN, Okla. – Initially outclassed in its first series of the season against a ranked opponent, Gonzaga baseball (3-7) left its series against No. 13 Oklahoma (10-2) on a high note.
It’s difficult to swing a series loss positively, but even while being run-ruled by the Sooners in each of the first two games of the series, the Bulldogs showed signs of life by the end of the weekend. The set culminated in a 7-1 victory where GU’s pitching staff truly stifled OU’s offense, with a southpaw spinning a quality start and a freshman right-hander continuing to dominate.
What steps did the Zags take at Kimrey Family Stadium?
Game 1: Oklahoma wins 14-4 (8 innings)
Run-ruled just before a final at-bat in the ninth, the Bulldogs were behind the 8-ball almost immediately in the opening game of the series. After not bringing Mikey Bell – who hit a two-out double – home to score in the top of the first, GU starter Finbar O’Brien surrendered six runs to the Sooners in the bottom half. Walking four of the first six batters he faced, O’Brien didn’t do himself any favors against the Sooners’ lineup. Once they chased home four runs courtesy of small ball, Dayton Tockey skied a ball that carried over the left-field fence, plating the fourth and fifth runs scored with two outs in the frame.
Gonzaga cut the lead in half in the third, as Noah Meffert singled home a run before Mikey Bell brought him in on a blast off lefty Cameron Johnson. The Bulldogs did a solid job against Johnson, but only scored those three runs off the nine hits they managed.
O’Brien settled in slightly after his blowup in the first, giving three scoreless innings before back-to-back walks with two outs in the fifth chased him from the contest. Overall, O’Brien surrendered nine free passes out of the 25 batters he faced.
After a failed pickoff attempt from reliever Jared Glenn that advanced the runners, Tockey delivered again with a two-run knock through the right side. In the following inning, a sac fly tacked on another run before Brendan Brock pulled a breaking ball out to left-center, good for a three-run shot off Glenn.
Bulldogs shortstop Ricky Sanchez singled for the third time to bring Ryder Young home in the eighth for some momentary breathing room, but OU introduced new arm Carson Boyer with a leadoff single, triple down the left-field line, and an arbitrary walkoff single to wrap things up.
Game 2: Oklahoma wins 11-1 (7 Innings)
GU actually took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the third during the middle game of the series, but once the first domino fell, there was no stopping the avalanche.
Young led off the second with a base hit and moved up to third after a failed back pick by the catcher, Brock. Later in the inning, Luca DiPaolo flied one down the right-field line that Nolan Stevens caught in foul territory, which scored Young.
Zags starter Erik Hoffberg worked around three singles in his first two innings of work, but allowed a unique homer in his third. Camden Johnson laced a ball into left-center, and laying out for it was centerfielder Bo Shinkle. But the ball landed out of Shinkle’s reach and rolled to the wall, as Johnson raced around the pillows to tie the game.
The play set the table for the Sooners to put together another six-run frame, this time in the fourth. First, Stevens cracked a long ball out to left center. Then Tockey came through again, this time with an RBI double, before Trey Gambill drilled a three-run big fly over the wall in right-center field.
Aside from Young’s early single, the Bulldogs had nothing for OU right-hander LJ Mercurius, who punched nine tickets in seven stellar frames. The only other baserunner he allowed was a walk to Hudson Shupe, also in the second.
Gambill doubled home another run in the sixth, before once more jumping on a fresh Gonzaga reliever to ice the game. Once Tockey was pulled for Deiten LaChance with two outs and a runner on third in the seventh, Zags head coach Mark Machtolf switched Joe Thornton for Justin Field, opting for a right-on-right matchup. But the decision blew up, as LaChance hit an RBI single before scoring on a double from the next batter. Then Camden Johnson provided the nail, singling past a diving Shupe to bring the 11th run around and seal the deal.
Game 3: Gonzaga wins 7-1
Although the final score looks more lopsided, the final game of the series was a pitcher’s duel for the vast majority of the day. Offering his best start of the season for GU was Karsten Sweum, who struck out seven Sooners in six frames, surrendering just three hits, a walk, and one run. After Oklahoma logged double-digit performances in the first two games and has done so now in nine of its 12 games played, Sweum was magnificent with his command to limit the damage OU looked to do. The lone extra-base hit he allowed was a solo shot by Brock in his final frame.
Through eight innings, Gonzaga too only had one extra-base hit to its name, and although the swing was also a home run, it was provided with a runner on. Bell brought Meffert around the bags again, driving a two-run bomb out to left against Cord Rager. The series was strong for the Bulldogs’ third baseman, who was overall 4-for-10 with four RBI and a couple of walks. The preseason All-WCC selectee is now hitting .316 with a .975 OPS on the young season.
Bringing in insurance runs and then some, GU capitalized on loading the bases with none out in the top of the ninth. A sac fly by Tommy Eisenstat plated the third run, before Shinkle singled back up the box for another. The Rece Schuerman stepped up with a two-run double before scoring on a liner off Young’s bat that the left fielder Gambill couldn’t corral.
Taking over for Sweum to close the game was freshman righty Landon Hood, who continued to impress. Hood punched out seven in three shutout frames, with his lone blemishes being a hit batsman and a four-pitch walk in the ninth. He’s now up to 11.1 innings without allowing a run to begin his collegiate career.
Momentum could be a measure for a pitching staff that had a rough weekend prior to the performances of Sweum and Hood. Competition faced should also be factored when evaluating the lineup’s performance, but now Bell stands as the lone qualified Zag posting an OPS north of .750. Gonzaga will continue its trek on the road next weekend against Creighton, taking the Bluejays on in Omaha for another three-game set.
