Jacob helps keep Zags alive at NCAA regional

MINNEAPOLIS — Freshman Alek Jacob pitched 8 innings in his NCAA Tournament debut and the Gonzaga offense ripped off 17 hits on the way to an 8-2 elimination win over fourth-seeded Canisius on Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Minneapolis Regional.

The game started two hours late due to heavy rain in the area, but the Gonzaga offense didn’t have any lull at all, posting six runs in the first four innings.

“It was a great response by the guys today,” Gonzaga coach Mark Machtolf said. “To get those two runs in the first really got things going for us. You got to see what has been the most impressive part of what Alek has done this year, and I wasn’t surprised to see him throw well in that spot.”

Jacob was up to the task in his first-career NCAA Tournament start, allowing two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks in his 8 innings of work. Taylor Davis came on for the ninth and retired all three batters he faced.

Gunnar Schubert and Austin Pinorini had three hits apiece to lead the way to a 17-hit day for the Zags (33-23). Schubert ended his day just a double short of the cycle, getting a single, triple and home run to go along with two RBI and one run scored. Pinorini had three RBI to go with his three singles.

Pinorini brought home the first two runs of the game with a single through the right side in the first inning.

After a scoreless second, the Zags then put up two more in the third and fourth to push the score to 6-2. Schubert hit a solo homer to right and Pinorini added an RBI single. Then in the fourth, Schubert followed an Ernie Yake RBI double with an RBI triple.

The Zags then added a run on a two-out RBI single by Breshears in the fifth inning and an RBI single by Isaac Barrera in the seventh to make it 8-2.

Canisius finished 35-22.

Gonzaga will face UCLA at noon PDT today.