MORAGA, Calif. – Saint Mary's Baseball had some good pitching performances in game one against the Zags on Friday, but No. 12 Gonzaga had some even better pitching performances in a 4-0 win over the Gaels.
 
Connor Linchey had his longest outing of the season, going 5.2 innings on 92 pitches while allowing three runs with just one walk and six strikeouts. Jackson Hulett put out a fire in the sixth and allowed just one run in 2.1 innings and Ryan Daugherty pitched a scoreless eighth. However, Gonzaga ace Gabriel Hughes tied his season high in strikeouts with 13 while only walking two in seven shutout innings.
 
The Zags got a leadoff triple in the third inning and would score twice in the frame on base hits right up the middle to give Gonzaga a 2-0 lead. The Gaels threatened in the bottom of the inning when Blake Mann reached on an error with one out and Gavin Napier singled with two down before a grounder to second ended the inning.
 
The same combo threatened in the fifth after a Mann single and a Napier walk before the Zags ended the threat again with a strikeout. Gonzaga got a solo home run to start the sixth to make it 3-0 and an RBI single in the eighth for a 4-0 lead.
 
SMC had runners at the corners in the eighth with two down but a fantastic play deep into the hole at short by the Zags led to a fielder's choice at second that snuffed out the Gaels best threat of the day for multiple runs.  
 
UP NEXT
Game two of the series is set for 1:00 p.m. at Louis Guisto Field on Saturday, April 23.