Box Score

OREM, Utah – Houston Baptist junior centerfielder Jake Gonzalez set the Great West Conference Tournament record with seven RBIs, going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and two runs as the Huskies eliminated Northern Colorado with an 11-5 victory Friday afternoon at Brent Brown Ballpark. The winner of tonight's game advances to face Utah Valley for the championship Saturday.
 
Gonzalez hit his 46^th career double to move into fourth place alone on HBU's all-time list, and his triple was the 11^th of his career to move into a tie for fifth all-time. Sophomore first baseman Bradley Brown went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run, while senior shortstop Collin Hetzler went 2-for-3 and scored twice for as the Huskies (27-32) hammered out 17 hits. Junior second baseman Josh Foust went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs, and senior catcher Asai Adame went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Senior rightfielder Kolby Arnst drove in a run and scored twice, and sophomore third baseman Garrett Tully went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
 
Tony Crudo went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a run, while Adrian Schenk scored twice for the Bears (27-33). Harrison Lambert doubled and drove in two runs, while Adam Hilker went 0-for-4, failing to reach base for the first time all season and snapping a 21-game hitting streak.
 
Freshman Curtis Jones (6-5) went the distance for the first time in his career to earn the win for HBU, allowing five runs on nine hits and striking out four in nine innings. Kevin Willman (1-3) took the loss for Northern Colorado, allowing two runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings. The Bears' bullpen allowed nine runs on eight hits in two innings, until Nate Steinmetz shut the Huskies out over the final 2.1 innings.
 
Foust led off the bottom of the first with a double to right, then Hetzler laid down a bunt single to put runners on the corners, but the Huskies could only manage one run as Foust scored on Gonzalez's sacrifice fly.
 
Northern Colorado answered back in the top of the second, as Jensen Park singled, stole second and scored on Crudo's two-out single to left to tie the game, 1-1.
 
Gonzalez led off the fourth with a single up the middle, then went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jones. After Tully singled to left, Adame laid down a squeeze bunt to plate Gonzalez to regain the lead for the Huskies, 2-1.
 
Foust led off the fifth with a single to center, then Hetzler laid down another bunt single and Foust went to third on a throwing error. After Arnst walked to load the bases, Gonzalez ripped a bases-clearing doubled down the leftfield line to extend HBU's lead to 5-1.
 
The Huskies blew the game open by sending 11 batters to the plate in the sixth inning. Brown led off with a single, then went to second on a throwing error. After Pfunter singled and stole second, Foust struck out and Hetzler was intentionally walked to load the bases. Arnst blooped an RBI single to right, then Gonzalez once again cleared the bases, this time with a triple to rightcenter. After Jones struck out, Tully brought Gonzalez home with a single through the right side. Adame also singled, then Brown capped the rally with an RBI single to center to put the Huskies ahead, 11-1.
 
In the seventh, Schenk was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single to left by Crudo.
 
Taylor Anderson, Schenk and Crudo each singled to load the bases with one out in the ninth, then pinch hitter Bryan Tibbetts drove in a run with a groundout. Lambert followed with a two-run doubled just inside the third-base bag to make the score 11-5, but Ryan Yamane grounded out to second to end the game.
 
The winner of tonight's game between HBU and North Dakota must defeat Utah Valley twice to claim the tournament title.