SPOKANE - Mark Phillips struck Loyola Marymount University's Joe Vierra with the bases loaded to end the game and preserve an 8-4 win for Gonzaga against LMU at the Patterson Baseball Complex Friday evening.
In a rematch of last season's West Coast Conference Championship Series, the Bulldogs (18-32, 6-10 WCC) used a strong outing from starting pitcher Cody Martin to take the series opener from the Lions (22-27, 4-12 WCC).
Martin worked a season-high 8.1 innings, allowing just three earned runs and striking out four to earn his fifth win of the season. The offense banged out 15 hits, led by Mark Castellitto who drove in three runs and scored twice while Billy Moon added three hits and also scored twice.
Martin (5-6) struck out four and walked just one while Phillips earned his second career save. Clayton Eslick extended his hitting streak to ten with his two hits, while Moon's three-hit game was his third in his last six games. Ernesto Ortiz also recorded two hits and scored a pair of runs.
Gonzaga and LMU resume their series at 1 p.m. Saturday.
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