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The Brigham Young baseball team rallied in the late innings Thursday but was unable to overcome a five-run deficit, losing to Gonzaga 5-3 in the first round of the West Coast Conference Tournament at Stockton, Calif.
The Bulldogs (34-17) scored twice in the third inning and added three more runs in the fifth to build a 5-0 lead. BYU (37-16) came back with a solo home run in each of the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.
The tournament is double eleimination, and BYU plays again Friday against Pepperdine at 1 p.m. The loser of that game will be eliminated, while the winner will play again at 8:30 p.m. Friday against the loser of the winners' bracket game between Saint Mary's and Gonzaga.
In the early game Thursday, Saint Mary's defeated Pepperdine 8-7 in 11 innings.
BYU starter Michael Rucker (11-1) suffered his first loss of the season Thursday. He allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits in eight innings while striking out five and walking none.
Eric Urry, Keaton Kringlen and Bronson Larsen all hit home runs for the Cougars, who finished with six hits.
Gonzaga's Brandon Bailey (9-3) struck out 17 and walked one in a complete-game six-hitter.
The champion of the WCC tournament will get the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.