Top-seeded Gonzaga absorbs stunning loss to fifth-seeded Saint Mary's in WCC tournament opener
May 21—SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Top-seeded Gonzaga was outpaced at the plate by fifth-seeded Saint Mary's in a matchup of the West Coast Conference's top two offensive teams. The Zags' first-team all-conference starting pitcher was outshined by a Gaels reliever who had his best performance of the season.
The WCC regular-season champion Bulldogs absorbed a stunning loss in their conference tournament opener, falling 13-4 to Saint Mary's on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals at Scottsdale Stadium. GU (35-18) will now have to win at least three consecutive games to claim the WCC tournament title. The Zags will meet the loser of Thursday's later game between second-seeded Pacific and No.
3 seed San Francisco at 10 a. m. Friday in the loser's bracket.
The Bulldogs swept the Gaels (32-24) in a three-game series in April, outscoring SMC 27-11 in Moraga, California. But in Game 4, GU struggled to contain SMC's lineup and couldn't rattle Gaels starter Sam Kretsch (5-2), who entered the game with a 7. 07 ERA and had only made five starts all year.
Kretsch had given up four runs on three hits and two walks in two innings of relief during a 14-4 loss to GU on April 18, but the sophomore kept the Zags' potent lineup relatively quiet over six innings Thursday, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts. Meanwhile, All-WCC GU pitcher Justin Feld (8-2) labored through his worst start of the season, surrendering six runs on seven hits with one strikeout in 3 1/3 innings. SMC chased Feld in the fourth after he loaded the bases on a lead-off double, a plunked batter and a walk, then gave up a two-run double.