Gonzaga blasts past Saint Mary’s in West Coast Conference baseball tournament opener

Jake Roberts and Troy Johnston each homered and had three hits apiece as Gonzaga blasted Saint Mary’s 11-2 in the first round of the West Coast Conference Baseball Championships at Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton, California.

Top-seeded GU (32-18) advances to the double-elimination tournament’s second round, meaning a 3:30 p.m. matchup Friday against the winner of No. 2 Loyola Marymount and No. 3 BYU.

The Gaels (37-19) are formidable when trailing and have 22 comeback victories. But the Zags gave themselves ample cushion with a six-run sixth inning that effectively secured a spot in Friday’s winner’s-bracket game.

Johnston started the scoring with a single to plate Jake Vieth and Justin Jacobs scored Sam Brown with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. Jeff Bohling hit a double to score Tyler Frost and Johnston, and Roberts brought Bohling home with his two-run blast to cap the inning and give the Zags a 9-2 lead.

Early on, it appeared Saint Mary’s might take control as it scored first and GU ace Eli Morgan’s pitch count ballooned.

In the top of the third with the bases loaded, two outs and a 1-2 count, Morgan spiked a pitch that catcher Jacobs could not block, allowing all runners to advance and Brett Rasso to score the game’s first run.

The Gaels’ Austin Chauvin, mired in a 3-for-37 slump, singled up the middle for a 2-0 lead. When the frame ended, Morgan had given up nine runs in 9 1/3 innings this season against Saint Mary’s.

But Morgan (10-2) rallied to pitch three scoreless innings, keeping GU coach Mark Machtolf from having to burn up his bullpen. Morgan worked six innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out 10.

The Zags got a run back in the bottom of the third.

Frost appeared to strike out, but SMU catcher Jackson Thorsen’s glove hit his bat, leading to a call of catcher’s interference that loaded the bases with one out for cleanup hitter Jacobs.

Jacobs plated Gunnar Schubert, who had led off the inning with a single, with a grounder that led to a fielder’s choice at second base.

The Zags tied the game when Johnston led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run. They took the lead for good later in the inning when Bohling’s single plated Frost.