Zags make it triumphant evening

The Gonzaga Bulldogs officially dedicated their new $8.5 million baseball stadium Friday night by banging out a 6-3 win over West Coast Conference rival Saint Mary’s College in front an appreciative record home crowd of 1,412 that included a lot of past GU players who returned for the dedication game.

Former player and longtime Bulldogs coach Steve Hertz emceed the pregame dedication ceremonies that honored board of trustees chairman, alumnus and major donor Mike Patterson, after whom Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field is named.

The Zags (24-18 overall, 7-3 in the WCC) took it from there, using a towering three-run homer by senior shortstop Aaron McGuinness to fuel a six-run third inning in support of the four-hit pitching of junior right-hander Brandon Harmon (6-5), who went the distance to pick up the win.

“It was nice,” McGuinness said of the victory. “We’ve got a full house tonight and we’ve got the dedication thing, so this was really special. Plus, it’s always important to do something like this when you’ve got all those ex-Zags in the stands who came back to watch.

“I was a little nervous before the game, but once things got going I was fine.”

McGuiness’ homer, his fourth the season, came on a first-pitch fastball from Saint Mary’s starter and hard-luck loser Sean Gleason (4-5), who scattered seven hits and had only the one bad inning in a complete game.

Of Harmon, who pitched his fifth complete game of the year, McGuiness said, “He did a great job tonight, but that’s what we expect from him. He’s one of our leaders. He’s one of our key guys on the mound.

“The spotlight was him tonight, and he responded.”

Saint Mary’s (16-21-1, 0-10), which came into the game having lost 12 straight, scored a run without the benefit of a hit in the first inning but got nothing else off Harmon until the seventh, when third baseman J.P. Musgrove lined a solo home run over the left-field fence.

The same teams will play again this afternoon at 1 at Washington Trust Field, where the Bulldogs are 8-6, having opened play in their new stadium on March 15 with a 9-4 non-conference win over Rider.