SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga baseball suffered a 4-3 loss in the series finale against Santa Clara on Sunday at the Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field.
The loss drops GU to 29-22 on the year and 16-11 overall, ensuring them off the No. 2 seed at this week’s West Coast Conference Baseball Championship. Santa Clara moved to 26-26, 12-15 on the year.
GU starter Mac Lardner went 4.0 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. He gave way to Casey Legumina, who came in and kept Santa Clara scoreless over 3.0 innings of work, striking out two and giving up four hits. Calvin LeBrun entered to start the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
The Lions got on the board early and often on Lardner, posting two in the first and one each in the second and fourth innings. Three straight doubles to begin the game put the Zags in an early hole.
Down 3-0 heading to the bottom of the third, the Zags got their first run of the game on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice off the bat of Trube. And after going down 4-1, Trube came through again in the fifth with a two-out double to pull back within 4-2.
The Zags got another one back in the eighth on a passed ball that allowed Jake Vieth to score. Daniel Fredrickson walked to load the bases back up, but a groundout by Carson Breshears ended the threat.
Gonzaga will be back in action on Thursday at the WCC Tournament against LMU. Live coverage will be available on GoZags.com.