SPOKANE -- Another rally ended in the final inning for BYU’s baseball team Monday evening as it fell to Gonzaga, 9-7.

For the second time in as many days, the Cougars fell short in the final inning, this time to Gonzaga in the ninth. BYU, now 6-9, had an inning-ending rally last Saturday against Washington in Provo.

Gonzaga, now 8-7, overtook a 1-0 lead by BYU with a five-run Zag rally in the third.

Chase Frampton drove in BYU’s first run in the second to score Bryce Ayoso who had singled and advanced on a Ryan Bernal double. Bernal was thrown out at the plate in an inning-ending double play.

In the eighth inning Frampton singled in Alex Wolfe to make the score 8-2. Wolfe, the reigning Mountain West Conference Player of the Week, struggled through the night, but had gotten on board with a dropped pop-up to third base.

Wolfe returned the favor with a bases loaded walk in the ninth to start a four-run rally for BYU. Wolfe, Sean McNaughton and pinch-runner Alex Hancock all scored on Ayoso’s one-out double down the leftfield line to narrow the margin to 9-6. Ayoso then scored off Frampton’s single and third RBI of the night.

“We had terrible at bats for seven innings, then had a lot better approaches at the end of the game,” said BYU coach Vance Law. “They did a good job of changing speeds, credit their pitcher with a good job. We had a couple of scoring chances early in the game or it might have been a different outcome.”

The two teams meet again on Tuesday night.

BYU at GONZAGA BULLDOGS
Mar 15, 2010 at SPOKANE, Wash. (Patterson Complex)
BYU 7 (6-9)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
McNAUGHTON, Sean lf......  4  1  1  0   1  1  0  0   0
RELF, Brandon ss.........  5  0  1  0   0  2  0  3   0
WOLFE, Alex 3b...........  3  2  0  1   2  2  0  2   0
AYOSO, Bryce c...........  4  2  2  3   1  1 12  1   5
BERNAL, Ryan dh..........  5  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
FRAMPTON, Chase 1b.......  4  0  2  3   1  1  7  2   0
CLUFF, Jonathan rf.......  5  0  0  0   0  0  2  0   3
NIELSEN, Dane 2b.........  4  1  1  0   0  0  3  2   1
WELLS, Stephen cf........  3  0  2  0   1  0  0  0   0
 HANCOCK, Alex pr........  0  1  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
HARDESTY, Shawn p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 CAPPER, Chris p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 WHITE, Coltin p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 McKNIGHT, David p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Totals................... 37  7 10  7   6  7 24 12   9
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 9 (8-7)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
HEID, D cf...............  4  1  2  2   1  0  5  0   0
STURDIVANT rf............  2  0  0  1   2  2  4  1   0
HUNTER, A dh.............  5  0  1  1   0  3  0  0   3
CASTELLITTO lf...........  5  1  2  1   0  1  0  0   2
BOLINGER, R 1b...........  5  0  0  0   0  2  4  1   2
ESLICK, C 2b.............  3  3  1  0   1  0  1  2   0
WILSON, S 3b.............  3  0  1  0   0  2  0  0   0
HAWK, K c................  1  2  0  0   2  0  8  0   1
ORTIZ, E ss..............  4  2  3  4   0  1  4  1   0
STUMETZ, J p.............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 BARON, L p..............  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
 PHILLIPS, M p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 DANNER, A p.............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 MOON, B p...............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 32  9 10  9   6 11 27  6   8
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
BYU................. 010 000 015 -  7 10  4
GONZAGA BULLDOGS.... 015 000 30X -  9 10  1
-------------------------------------------
E - RELF 2(8); AYOSO(1); FRAMPTON(2); WILSON, S(3). DP - BY 1. LOB - BY 9;
Gonzaga 8. 2B - McNAUGHTON(4); AYOSO(6); BERNAL(2); HEID, D(5). HR -
CASTELLITTO(4); ORTIZ, E(1). HBP - STURDIVANT. SH - WILSON, S(1); HAWK,
K(1). SB - ESLICK, C(1).
BYU                    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
HARDESTY, Shawn.....  2.2  6  6  2  5  5 13 20
CAPPER, Chris.......  2.1  2  0  0  0  3  9  9
WHITE, Coltin.......  2.0  2  3  3  1  2  7  9
McKNIGHT, David.....  1.0  0  0  0  0  1  3  3
GONZAGA BULLDOGS       IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
STUMETZ, J..........  7.1  5  2  1  4  6 27 31
BARON, L............  0.1  0  0  0  0  0  1  1
PHILLIPS, M.........  0.2  4  5  5  2  1  6  8
DANNER, A...........  0.1  1  0  0  0  0  2  2
MOON, B.............  0.1  0  0  0  0  0  1  1
Win - STUMETZ, J (1-1).  Loss - HARDESTY (1-2).  Save - MOON, B (3).
HBP - by HARDESTY (STURDIVANT). PB - AYOSO(2).
Umpires - HP: Rick Jaggars  1B: Randy Sutton  3B: Kevin Walker
Start: 6:30 pm   Time: 2:55   Attendance: 917
Weather: Clear, cool, 54
BYU 1st - McNAUGHTON flied out to cf. RELF flied out to cf. WOLFE struck
out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 1st - HEID, D doubled to right center. STURDIVANT
walked. HUNTER, A struck out swinging. CASTELLITTO singled to shortstop;
STURDIVANT advanced to second; HEID, D advanced to third. BOLINGER, R hit into
double play ss to 2b to 1b; CASTELLITTO out on the play. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0
errors, 2 LOB.
BYU 2nd - AYOSO singled to left field. BERNAL doubled to right center;
AYOSO advanced to third. FRAMPTON grounded out to ss, RBI; BERNAL advanced to
third; AYOSO scored. CLUFF flied out to rf; BERNAL out at home rf to c. 1
run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 2nd - ESLICK, C walked. WILSON, S singled down the rf
line; ESLICK, C advanced to second. HAWK, K out at first c to 2b, SAC, bunt;
WILSON, S advanced to second; ESLICK, C advanced to third. ORTIZ, E struck out
swinging. HEID, D walked. STURDIVANT walked, RBI; HEID, D advanced to second;
WILSON, S advanced to third; ESLICK, C scored. HUNTER, A struck out swinging.
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
BYU 3rd - NIELSEN flied out to cf to left center. WELLS walked.
McNAUGHTON doubled to left center; WELLS advanced to third. RELF singled to
second base. WOLFE struck out looking. AYOSO struck out swinging. 0 runs, 2
hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 3rd - CASTELLITTO homered to left center, RBI.
BOLINGER, R struck out swinging. ESLICK, C reached on an error by ss, advanced
to second on the throw. WILSON, S struck out swinging. HAWK, K walked. ORTIZ, E
singled to left field, advanced to second on the throw, RBI; HAWK, K advanced
to third; ESLICK, C scored, unearned. HEID, D singled through the left side, 2
RBI; ORTIZ, E scored, unearned; HAWK, K scored, unearned. STURDIVANT hit by
pitch; HEID, D advanced to second. CAPPER to p for HARDESTY. HUNTER, A singled
up the middle, RBI; STURDIVANT advanced to second; HEID, D scored, unearned.
HUNTER, A advanced to second on a passed ball; STURDIVANT advanced to third on
a passed ball. CASTELLITTO struck out swinging. 5 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 2
LOB.
BYU 4th - BERNAL grounded out to p. FRAMPTON walked. CLUFF popped up to
ss. NIELSEN popped up to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 4th - BOLINGER, R grounded out to 3b. ESLICK, C reached
on an error by 1b. ESLICK, C stole second, advanced to third on an error by c.
WILSON, S struck out swinging. HAWK, K grounded out to p. 0 runs, 0 hits, 2
errors, 1 LOB.
BYU 5th - WELLS singled to right center. McNAUGHTON struck out swinging.
RELF struck out swinging. WOLFE walked; WELLS advanced to second. AYOSO popped
up to ss. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 5th - ORTIZ, E singled to shortstop, advanced to second
on a throwing error by ss. HEID, D grounded out to 2b; ORTIZ, E advanced to
third, out at home 1b to 3b to c. STURDIVANT struck out looking. 0 runs, 1
hit, 1 error, 0 LOB.
BYU 6th - BERNAL flied out to cf. FRAMPTON struck out looking. CLUFF
flied out to rf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 6th - WHITE to p for CAPPER. HUNTER, A struck out
swinging. CASTELLITTO grounded out to ss. BOLINGER, R grounded out to ss. 0
runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 7th - NIELSEN popped up to 2b. WELLS flied out to cf. McNAUGHTON
flied out to rf to right center. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 7th - ESLICK, C singled through the right side. WILSON,
S out at first 1b to 2b, SAC, bunt; ESLICK, C advanced to second. HAWK, K
walked. ORTIZ, E homered to left field, 3 RBI; HAWK, K scored; ESLICK, C
scored. HEID, D flied out to rf to right center. STURDIVANT struck out
swinging. 3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 8th - RELF grounded out to 2b. WOLFE reached on a dropped fly by 3b.
AYOSO walked; WOLFE advanced to second. BARON, L to p for STUMETZ, J. BERNAL
out at first 1b to p; AYOSO advanced to second; WOLFE advanced to third.
PHILLIPS, M to p for BARON, L. FRAMPTON singled up the middle, RBI; AYOSO
advanced to third; WOLFE scored, unearned. CLUFF popped up to ss. 1 run, 1
hit, 1 error, 2 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 8th - McKNIGHT to p for WHITE. HUNTER, A grounded out
to p. CASTELLITTO flied out to rf. BOLINGER, R struck out swinging. 0 runs,
0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 9th - NIELSEN singled up the middle. WELLS singled to shortstop;
NIELSEN advanced to second. HANCOCK pinch ran for WELLS. McNAUGHTON walked;
HANCOCK advanced to second; NIELSEN advanced to third. RELF struck out looking.
WOLFE walked, RBI; McNAUGHTON advanced to second; HANCOCK advanced to third;
NIELSEN scored. AYOSO doubled down the lf line, 3 RBI; WOLFE scored; McNAUGHTON
scored; HANCOCK scored. DANNER, A to p for PHILLIPS, M. BERNAL grounded out to
2b; AYOSO advanced to third. FRAMPTON singled to center field, RBI; AYOSO
scored. MOON, B to p for DANNER, A. CLUFF flied out to rf. 5 runs, 4 hits, 0
errors, 1 LOB.

Gonzaga hosts BYU in a two-game series on Monday and Tuesday preceding the Cougars' Mountain West Conference opener on Thursday at TCU.

BYU takes a 6-8 record into the first game with the Bulldogs. The Zags are just returning from a four-game weekend at the Irish Baseball Classic in San Antonio, Texas.

Starting on the mound in Monday's game for BYU will be junior righthander Shawn Hardesty (1-1, 8.22), while Tuesday's Cougar starter is TBA.

"This is the nature of the beast when you have to play 56 games in 14 weeks," said BYU coach Vance Law, in reference to this week's five games. “This is why depth on our pitching staff is critical.”

The Cougars just finished winning two of three games against Washington to open the home season as BYU raised its batting average from .299 to .329 last week.