BLACKSBURG, Va.—
Hayden Schott's three-run home run in the sixth inning broke open a close game and helped Columbia Baseball (31-16) claim an 8-2 win over No. 14 ranked Gonzaga during NCAA Baseball Tournament First Round action Friday afternoon at English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park. With the win, Columbia advances to play the winner of No. 1 seed Virginia Tech vs. No. 4 seed Wright State on Saturday. Virginia Tech and Wright State play at 7 p.m. tonight.
"I thought that we got off to a really good start, scoring in the first inning," said head coach
Brett Boretti. "From there I thought that Sean [Higgins] pitched a heck of a game and defensively we played really well behind him. I thought our offense did a really good job.
"And to Sean's credit he wiggled out of a first and third situation and I think we got a lot of momentum. Then Saajan [May] coming in and doing his thing later in the game and Hayden [Schott] getting a really big hit for us. We beat a really good team today and they're going to be around for a few more days here."
With the score tied at 1-1, Columbia erupted for five runs in the sixth inning.
Weston Eberly gave Columbia a 2-1 lead on an RBI single to right field which drove in
Andy Blake. With Eberly and Tyler McGregor on base, Schott followed with his blast to right field to put the Lions up 5-1. Later in the inning,
Joshua Solomon's single to right field drove in EJ Kreutzman and Columbia held a commanding 6-1 lead.
Columbia starting pitcher
Sean Higgins (6-3) earned the win on the mount after striking out six batters and allowing just one earned run and one walk in 6.0 innings of work. He threw 96 pitches on the day. in the fifth, Higgins faced his biggest challenge, as Gonzaga put runners on the corners with the score tied at 1-1.
The Lions starter then dug deep, striking the next two batters out to end the Bulldog threat. When the final batter swung through strike three, Higgins let out a powerful yell, showing how big the out was.
Saajan May closed out the game for the Lions, throwing the final 3.0 innings, striking out three and allowing no runs and one hit as he earned his second save of the year. And with a loud pop of the glove, recorded the final out on a strikeout to advance Columbia in the winners bracket.
GAME NOTES:
- This is the second time in program history the Lions have opened a Regional with a win, the other being at the 2015 Coral Gables Regional ...
-
Hayden Schott is now tied for fourth all-time in program history for home runs (12) in a single season ...
- Schott moves into fourth-place all-time in program history in total bases ...
-
Tyler MacGregor now sits alone in third on the program's all-time list for doubles in a single season ...
- Columbia, with 507 total hits, now sits one hit away from tying the program record (508), and two away from breaking it, for hits in a single season ...
- Higgins is now tied for eighth all-time in program history for wins in a single season ...
- Eberly's 46 runs scored ties him for sixth all-time in program history ...
-
Cole Hage has now reached base in 45 straight apperances, and sits just two away from tying the program record of 47 ...
FOLLOWING THE LIONS: Stay up to date on all things Columbia Baseball by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsBaseball), Instagram (@culionsbaseball) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
