SPOKANE, Wash. – Fans watching USF and Gonzaga's doubleheader on Saturday got their money's worth as the Dons and Zags played 25 innings of baseball at Patterson Baseball Complex with Gonzaga coming out on top of both contests. The Dons fell victim to a walk-off single in the bottom of the 16^th inning in game one, suffering a 4-3 defeat, while dropping game two, 8-1, after Gonzaga sealed the victory with a five-run eighth inning.
 
In game one – which was postponed from Friday due to rain – Gonzaga's Justin Jacobs drove in the game-winning run on a two-out single through the right side off USF reliever Riley Ornido that plated Sam Brown.
 
Prior to that, the Dons (12-11, 1-4 WCC) nearly scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 15^th when Ross Puskarich was thrown out trying to score on a throwing error by Gonzaga shortstop Gunnar Schubert. With two outs and runners on first and third, Matt Campos popped up to strand both runners.

The 16-inning affair marked the Dons' longest game since a 15-innning contest at UC Riverside on Mar. 7, 2015. USF also defeated No. 3 Cal State Fullerton, 6-5, in 19 innings on Feb. 21, 2014. 
 
Allen Smoot went 2-for-3 with a run scored in game one, while Puskarich drove in a pair of runs with his first homer of the year and Brady Bate collected two hits.
 
Both teams left a combined 13 runners left on base in extra innings.
 
Gonzaga (13-10, 5-0 WCC) left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12^th, while USF had runners in scoring position in the 12^th, 14^th and 15^th innings but couldn't take advantage of two defensive miscues by the Zags.
 
Another throwing error by Schubert in the top of the 14^th helped USF load the bases, but Nico Giarratano bounced into an unconventional 3-2-1 double play to end the inning with the game still tied at 3-3.
 
Ornido (0-1) took the loss for USF after throwing two innings and allowing one run on two hits with a pair of strikeouts. Mac Lardner (2-1) earned the win for Gonzaga with two scoreless innings of relief.
 
Puskarich's two-run shot in the sixth helped give USF a 3-2 lead, but the Zags answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh on Daniel Fredrickson's two-run double that helped chase USF starter Grant Goodman from the game after Goodman logged 6.1 innings where he allowed three runs on four hits while striking out three and walking three.
 
Right-hander Joey Carney picked up the majority of the workload in extra innings for the Dons, throwing a career-high four innings after entering with two outs in the bottom of the 10^th in relief of Scott Parker. Carney struck out the first hitter he faced en route to six strikeouts over his scoreless outing.
 
Game two saw Gonzaga take an early lead on Fredrickson's solo homer in the bottom of the first off USF starter Daniel Slominski.
 
The Zags added another run on a sacrifice fly by Jacobs in the fourth before USF responded with Matt Sinatro's RBI single to center field that trimmed the Gonzaga lead to 2-1.
 
That would wind up being as close as the Dons would get as Gonzaga scored six runs over their final two frames, taking advantage of a throwing error by USF center fielder Tyler Villaroman to score a run in the bottom of the seventh and stringing together a five-run rally in the eighth that included a pair of RBI doubles off Slominski, a passed ball that plated a run and a two-run homer by Jake Roberts.
 
Slominski (1-2) suffered his second loss of the year after putting in 7.1 innings of work, allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits with five strikeouts and a walk. Meanwhile, Gonzaga's Justin Vernia (4-1) went the distance, limiting USF to just five hits and one unearned run while recording seven strikeouts.
 
Sinatro went 2-for-4 in game two, with Puskarich, Riley Helland and Harrison Bruce tallying the other Dons' hits on the night.
 
The series will conclude on Sunday afternoon with a 12 p.m. first pitch. Right-hander Benji Post (3-0, 2.42) will take the mound for the Dons in the finale.