The Gonzaga University baseball team returned home to open West Coast Conference play, finding a 8-6 victory over Loyola Marymount University on Friday evening.
The Zags (4-14, 1-0 WCC) opened a three-game series at the Patterson Baseball Complex with a high-scoring win, beating the LMU Lions (11-11, 0-1 WCC) 8-6.
LMU's offense was quick to get runs on the board. With two runners on base, Diego Baqueiro flied out to bring Sam Biller home. In the next at-bat, Benny Casillas stole second while Brendan Bobo stole home, giving the Lions an early 2-0 lead over the Bulldogs.
The Zags didn't wait to fight back, as a Josh Hankins home run put the team on the board in the bottom of the first inning.
Power hitting from both sides came to define the next two innings which would see another four home runs. In the top of the second, Devan Orleans and Robbie Ayers launched back-to-back home runs out of the park for LMU.
Down 4-1 entering the bottom of the second inning, the Zags searched for another answer and found it in centerfielder Max Coupe.
Coupe smashed a two-run homer to right center, bringing Vincent Temesvary in.
"I just felt comfortable trusting the guys in front of me and behind me, so that made my at-bats really easy," Coupe said.
Having been out with an injury, Coupe missed the Zags' battle against Wichita State, where the Shockers swept the Bulldogs, but said he feels he's back at his fullest.
LMU continued to bite back offensively, with another home run coming from Diego Baquiero in the third inning, setting the score at 5-3.
Coupe saw a silver lining in LMU's offensive aggression.
"It's almost good," Coupe said. "It lights a little bit more fire, creates a little bit more energy, so it gets the guys going. We don't want to put ourselves in that position all the time, but we wanted to compete with them and put the ball in play, and that's what happened."
This fire burned bright in the third inning for the Zags. Sam Stem continued the back-and-forth power hitting with a go-ahead grand slam, and GU marched into the fourth up 7-5.
LMU's own offensive momentum was shut down in the fourth inning by Zag pitcher Justin Feld, who took over for Michael Cunneely. Feld would go on to face 19 batters and allow just one hit, earning the win.
"I can't say enough about Justin Feld," said associate coach Brandon Harmon. "[LMU] punched us pretty good in the first two or three innings, had a lot of momentum, and he was able to come in and calm the waters there."
Erik Hoffberg came in to relieve Feld in the top of the seventh, and with two runners on, was able to secure the last out, helping ensure the Lions wouldn't score again until the ninth.
GU's offense faced a lull of its own from the fourth through sixth innings, repeatedly flying out and striking out against pitchers Owen Hackman and Ryan Mullan.
Hackman pitched the first five innings and totaled four strikeouts. Mullan came in in the sixth to secure two. Hackman was credited with the loss.
Pitcher Daniel Sotelo came in to close for the Zags in the eighth inning.
"We've kind of made the move this week to use Sotelo later in games," Harmon said. "He gives up one there in the ninth, but we feel really good getting the ball in his hands with the lead."
Before LMU scored its last run, the Zags' own offense was revived, when Hudson Shupe slid home on a wild pitch in the seventh. After early offensive back-and-forth and a mid-game scoring lull, GU were able to finish the tight game in the top of the ninth.
This weekend, the Zags face a quick turnaround to continue the series. They face LMU again at 1pm on Saturday before closing out the series Sunday at noon. Fans can expect a start on the mound from junior Liam Paddack, who's pitched five games for the Zags this season.