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Zags snap losing skid in return home

Gonzaga (14-14, 5-5) erased a 4-3 deficit in the sixth inning and got 3.1 innings of shutout ball from its bullpen on the way to the win over the Pilots (10-17, 4-6).

SPOKANE, Wash.— Gonzaga baseball came through in the clutch on offense and rode the bullpen to the 6-4 win over Portland on Friday night.

Gonzaga (14-14, 5-5) erased a 4-3 deficit in the sixth inning and got 3.1 innings of shutout ball from its bullpen on the way to the win over the Pilots (10-17, 4-6).

“I thought our guys played hard all night and battled with two strikes,” head coach Mark Machtolf said. “We were a lot more efficient tonight than we have been. We have to a good job of putting the ball in play, and I thought we did that tonight.”

Branson Trube and Jace VanDeBrake paced the offense with identical lines of 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored each. Jake Vieth scored twice for the Zags, and Carson Breshears was hit by a pitch three times in a game the Zags were hit five times total.

On the mound, starter Daniel Bies went 5.2 innings, giving up four runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and two walks. The GU bullpen combo of Calvin LeBrun and Casey Legumina finished off the final 3.1 innings, giving up no runs on three hits with six combined strikeouts. LeBrun got the win to move to 3-3 on the year with 0.2 innings, while Legumina picked up his seventh save of the year, going 2.2 innings with four strikeouts.

After the Zags spotted Portland a run in the opening frame, GU responded with a run in the bottom of the first and two more in the second. GU went up 3-1 on a two-out, two-RBI single by Trube.

Portland put two more up in the third and another in the sixth to take the lead back, but GU again answered right away. In the bottom of the sixth, VanDeBrake got things going with a one-out single that brought home two Zags for a 5-4 lead. GU added another in the seventh on a wild pitch.

Gonzaga is back on its home field Saturday for the second game of a three-game set with Portland at 6 p.m. Live video and stats will be available on the baseball schedule page at GoZags.com.

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