Big Offensive Inning, Higgins Lead Columbia to Win Over Gonzaga

Image credit: Columbia OF Hayden Schott (Photo courtesy of Columbia)

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Friday was setting up to be a big moment for Gonzaga righthander Gabriel Hughes. 

Because of the pandemic in 2020 and an injury that ended his 2021 season in April, Friday’s start in the Blacksburg Regional opener was the first NCAA Tournament start of his career. It was also a high-profile opportunity for Hughes to throw in front of a whole host of scouts in Blacksburg and to be viewed by scores of fans who had heard the buzz about Hughes but might not have been streaming WCC games late at night this season. 

But Columbia wasn’t all that concerned with giving Hughes his moment, as the Lions waited him out, weathered the storm as the righthander looked the part of the first-round pick he might be as he settled into the middle innings and then put up a big inning late to break it open on the way to an 8-2 win. 

“I thought our offense did a really good job and didn’t have much to show for it through the first four innings, but I thought we worked a real good arm over,” said Columbia coach Brett Boretti. 

It was clear from the start that Columbia was ready to hit Hughes. Three of the first four batters of the game had hits against Hughes, and catcher Weston Eberly drove a ball to left field that one-hopped the wall and scored a run. 

Hughes buckled down, though, and struck out right fielder Hayden Schott and third baseman Anton Lazits to strand two runners in scoring position. Very quickly, it looked like Columbia might regret getting just one run out of that extended rally, because those two strikeouts were the start of a period of time where it looked like Hughes was going to get right after all. 

He cruised through the next four innings without giving up a hit, facing one over the minimum during that time. After touching 97 mph with his first pitch of the game, Hughes settled in throwing his fastball in the low-to-mid 90s, and outside of a deep fly ball off the bat of Columbia shortstop Andy Blake that center fielder Enzo Apodaca reached over the wall and brought back for a robbed home run, those four innings featured mostly pitches pounded into the groundout, strikeouts and harmless popups. 

“I think he was starting to cruise and I thought that he was settled in,” said Gonzaga coach Mark Machtolf. 

The sixth inning was a different story, however. The Lions collected six hits, just about all of them hit directly on the nose, with the big blow coming on a three-run home run for Schott that made it a 6-1 game. Hughes flipped in a breaking ball that sat up in the zone and Schott simply punished it. 

“I figured he was going to throw me an offspeed (pitch) just because my swings before weren’t exactly amazing against offspeed,” Schott said. “So I kind of was expecting one a little bit. He threw it a little inside and I kind of just let the shoulder eat and it went over the fence.”

The inning was the fruit of Columbia executing the game plan to make Hughes work and take advantage of what he gave them. 

Simply put, the third time through the order, when the Lions got a pitch in a spot they liked, they hammered it. 

“When they got in advantage counts and they got a fastball to hit, it didn’t matter if it was 92 or 95, they were on time,” Machtolf said. “They’re well coached and did a nice job today.”

Columbia righthander Sean Higgins doesn’t have the stuff or pedigree of Hughes, but on Friday, he was nails. 

He threw six innings, giving up six hits and two runs (one earned) with one walk and six strikeouts, and 64 of his 96 pitches were strikes. 

Those weren’t necessarily free and easy innings, either. Columbia went on to win the game comfortably, but it was a 1-1 score until the sixth. Every pitch Higgins threw for the first five innings was crucial. 

His biggest jam came in the fifth, as Gonzaga shortstop Connor Coballes doubled to lead off the inning and two batters later left fielder Jack Machtolf singled to put runners on the corners with one out. With the top of the order due, Higgins struck out Apodaca and second baseman Savier Pinales swinging to get out of it. 

“I think I was in a good position to keep going in that inning and I was pretty confident with the guys coming up to the plate that I would get them out, and it ended up going my way,” Higgins said. 

Columbia is a bit of a team without an obvious ace, but Higgins sure has pitched like one of late. In his last three starts, which encompasses a road game against Dartmouth, the second game of the Ivy League championship series against Pennsylvania and this start against Gonzaga, he’s given up five runs (three earned) in 17 innings. 

“I think more than anything, I’ve been able to move the ball around the plate with my fastball a little bit more, moving it in and out,” Higgins said of what’s been working of late. “I think mentally, it’s just been way more fun. I’ve been having a really good time on the mound, just having fun, being as confident as possible.”

If Virginia Tech beats Wright State Friday night, the next challenge for Columbia, slowing down a Hokies offense that is far more physical and scores runs in bunches far more often than Gonzaga, will be tougher, but the Lions haven’t worried about it just yet. 

“I’ll be real honest with you now. I haven’t looked at anything about Virginia Tech,” Boretti said. “We’ll have a chance to see them play this evening and we’ll have a chance to watch some video, but the focus was on this first game. We’ll take it day by day. I know they’re a good team. They’re hosting a regional.”