> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Gonzaga Baseball Drops Three of Four in Season Opening Series to Hawai’i - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/gonzaga-bulldogs-baseball-drops-three-of-four-season-opening-series-hawaii/ - Published: 2026-02-17T20:08:06.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:53:49.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: Game Day, Analysis, Gonzaga Baseball, Mark Machtolf, Landon Hood, Noah Meffert, Mikey Bell \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1912"\] ![ Gonzaga Bulldogs pitcher Landon Hood (43) delivers a pitch against Hawai’i at Les Murakami Stadium. Credit: Gonzaga Athletics ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/screenshot-2026-02-17-at-10-57-14-e2-80-afam-format-original.png) Gonzaga Bulldogs pitcher Landon Hood (43) delivers a pitch against Hawai’i at Les Murakami Stadium. Credit: Gonzaga Athletics \[/caption\] MĀNOA, Hawaii – The first games of a baseball season bring anticipation and excitement, but after Gonzaga baseball (1-3) lost three of four games to Hawai’i to open the 2025-26 campaign, the feeling that sets in is frustration. Even with the Bulldogs’ offense falling dormant for a lot of the set while posting inopportune defense more than they’d like, there was still a chance to flip the result of their time in Mānoa, with two of the games going to extra innings before having a one-run lead entering the ninth of the final contest. Pitching was the highlight of the weekend for the Zags, but the unit dropped the ball late on Monday with a chance to escape the Aloha State with a series split, putting a damper on mostly heroic efforts from the staff to begin the season. How did the first series of the year unfold for GU? **Game 1: Hawai’i wins 3-2 (10 innings)** This game was tough to stomach for Gonzaga on several levels. Offensively, they only mustered five hits but managed to push the game to bonus baseball. And even at face value, the pitching staff turned in a solid night. But just one of the three runs allowed was earned, as defensive miscues cost the Bulldogs several times in the loss. The walkoff run was plated on an attempted sacrifice bunt by the Rainbow Warriors. Squaring was Elijah Ickes, who pushed the bunt to the left side. Third baseman Mikey Bell went for the lead man, but spun and threw errantly into left field, allowing Kody Watanabe to scamper home. Bell also committed an error in the eighth inning when he kicked a grounder that short-hopped him. In the second, after left fielder Ryder Young threw a runner out at third trying to advance, resulting in a fly ball double play, he misjudged a pop-up by the next batter. The ball fell into the outfield grass, allowing Kamana Nakahu to score, and Young was charged with an error. Preseason All-WCC selection Finbar O’Brien was solid otherwise in his first start of the year, going 4.1 innings and allowing just three hits while striking out four. He did walk three batters and hit a man, giving way to reliever Zach Bowman, who turned in 4.2 frames without allowing an earned run. Although being charged with the loss, Bowman struck out seven and was big for giving the offense a chance to tie the game. Young did collect three of his team’s three hits, including a double and a game-tying RBI single in the eighth, but the offense was mostly shut down by UH starter Isaiah Magadlene, who turned in a quality start with six innings of one-run ball and six punchouts. **Game 2: Hawai’i wins 5-3** Putting runs on the board early, the ‘Bows never looked back in this one, even with a late comeback attempt by the Zags. Self-inflicted wounds plagued them once more after there were two hit batters, a failed pickoff attempt by starter Erik Hoffberg, and a throwing error by shortstop Ricky Sánchez, which led to two Hawai’i runs in the opening frame. Back-to-back doubles in the second and a sac fly in the fourth off Hoffberg doubled the deficit for GU, which seemed insurmountable as the bats were stifled by a Rainbow Warriors starting pitcher for the second straight outing. Hekili Robello spun six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, but was sent back out for the seventh, where the Bulldogs finally got something going against him. After an error to open the frame, the Zags went station-to-station for four consecutive plate appearances, scoring three runs to come within one of UH. But an insurance run was added in the eighth inning by the ‘Bows, and there was no rally left in the tank for GU. **Game 3: Gonzaga wins 7-2 (12 innings)** For the second time in the series, Bulldogs head coach Mark Machtolf utilized just two arms to get the job done. Southpaw Karsten Sweum came an out shy of delivering a quality start, hitting 100 pitches on a 5.2 inning outing where he allowed a couple of runs and struck out six. First-year right-hander Landon Hood picked up where Sweum left off though, giving the Zags 6.1 shutout frames where he struck out eight, with two hits being the only baserunners he surrendered. Pitching about as well as possible in his first collegiate appearance, the dominant showing earned Hood a win and WCC Freshman of the Week honors. Scratching a couple of run-scoring singles across in the third, GU was held scoreless for the next eight frames, stifled by four separate ‘Bows relivers. In the twelfth, right fielder Noah Meffert broke the ice with an RBI double – his third hit of the day -- to give Gonzaga the lead. Meffert was a menace all weekend, logging eight hits in the four games played. Then, after loading the bases, Gonzaga pieced together four additional runs in the inning, doing the damage against Hawai’i’s Zacary Tenn, who was facing the lineup for the second time. **Game 4: Hawai’i wins 4-3** In gut-wrenching fashion, the Bulldog suffered a walkoff defeat in the final game of the set, after taking a late lead an inning prior. Up a run in the final frame, UH rallied with three consecutive singles to tie the game at 3 while having runners on the corners. Then reliever Frank Willius spiked a breaking ball that bounced toward the home dugout, allowing Ickes to walk home for the game-winning run. It was a pitching duel halfway through the matchup, with former Zag Liam O’Brien and Justin Feld going five and four scoreless frames, respectively. The Rainbow Warriors got on the board first, capitalizing with a double around a couple of walks and a wild pitch to plate two runs. A GU sac fly in the sixth cut the lead in half, and with lefty Joe Thornton keeping the ‘Bows in check for three innings, Gonzaga flipped the game in the top of the eighth, thanks to a clutch two-out two-run single to left from Young. The series was more than forgettable for the Zags’ two position players who were named to the Preseason All-WCC team - Bell and second baseman Hudson Shupe - who hit .188 and .118, respectively, in the team’s first four games of the season. Considering the few plays that didn’t go their way and the dramatic losses they endured, the Bulldogs will be eager to get on track in a three-game series against Texas State in San Marcos starting this Friday.