Zags down the Cougars 7-3

SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga scored runs in four of the first five innings Saturday night to defeat BYU 7-3 at Patterson Baseball Complex.

The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in bottom of the first inning, then added three more in the second on three walks, two errors and a single to centerfield to take a 4-0 lead

BYU (12-23, 6-9) got on the board with a run in the third inning when a single by Brock Watkins to right center got things going for the Cougars. A fly ball by Chase Taylor moved Watkins to second where he later advanced to third on a balk. With two outs Peyton Cole singled to left field to drive in Watkins. The Cougars would go on to load the bases but were unable to bring in another run, leaving the score 4-1.

Gonzaga (26-13, 14-4) responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third and tacked on another run in the top of the fifth to take a commanding 7-1 lead.

The Cougars loaded the bases again with one out in the sixth inning, but a Bulldog double-play ended the threat.

BYU threatened again in the eighth with back-to-back hits to lead off the inning. Cole singled to center and scored from first on a triple off the center field wall in the deepest part of the ballpark by Cole Gambill to cut into the Zags lead. A ground ball to second by Joshua Cowden would score Gambill and cut the Zags lead to 7-3.

The Zags improved to 14-4 in the West Coast Conference where they have a two-game lead over second place San Diego who is 10-4. The Cougars fall to eighth place in the conference with a record of 6-9.

BYU is back in action in a unique Monday morning game versus Arizona State at 11 a.m. MDT at Miller Park in Provo. The game will be broadcast live on the BYUtv App and online at BYUtv.org, as well as the BYU Sports Network: BYU Radio FM 107.7, BYUCougars.com and the BYU Cougars app.