April 29, 2000
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga (25-18, 15-8 WCC) was outhit by Santa Clara (17-34, 7-17 WCC) in both games of Saturday's West Coast Conference double-header but the Broncos could only use that hitting advantage to garner one win against Gonzaga. Santa Clara held on to win the opener 5-4, with the Zags exploding in the nightcap to win 11-6 at August/A.R.T. Stadium in Spokane. With the victory, Gonzaga won the weekend series and also won the season series taking four-of-six from the Broncos this year.
In the opener, Santa Clara received a clutch two-out, two run single in the eighth inning by Matt Miller and then reliever Brain Sparr closed the door with 1.1 solid innings of relief to lead the Broncos to the one run victory. Santa Clara scored first in the game on Pat Peavey's fourth inning single to right center that plated two SCU runs off Gonzaga starter Barry Matthews (8-3).
Gonzaga answered with a single run in the bottom of the fourth as Kevin Hara was hit by a pitch with bases loaded. Santa Clara starter Mike Dorsa (3-1) was able to work out of that jam tossing seven innings of six hit baseball. Dorsa and the Broncos bullpen would force Gonzaga to leave 12 runners on base, including three runners at third base with less-than-two-outs.
Santa Clara increased its lead to 3-1 in the fifth inning as Matt Miller drove home Mike Balestreri, who had led off the inning with a double down the left field line. GU responded with a single run in the bottom of the sixth with a Jared Hertz sacrifice fly to left field that was just a few feet shy of being a pinch-hit grand slam. That would pull Gonzaga to within 3-2 and set the table for Miller's eighth inning heroics.
The Zags battled back in their half of the eighth as Kevin Hara doubled down the left line to score Brian Munhall and Chris Florko. Gonzaga would again have a chance in the bottom of the ninth inning placing runners at first and second before Brian Sparr could collect his first save of the season for Santa Clara.
Matt Miller was one of six Broncos to have two hits on the afternoon while driving home three runs. Pat Peavey drove home the other two Santa Clara runs. Brent Church and Barry Matthews were the only Gonzaga players with two hits while Kevin Hara drove home three of the Zags four runs.
