May 18, 2001
Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - Gonzaga (28-25) scored six runs in the top of the ninth inning on Friday afternoon as the Zags won the opening game of the West Coast Conference Playoffs 7-6 over No. 14 Pepperdine (39-16) at Eddy D. Field Stadium in Malibu.
Gonzaga jumped on the board in the fourth as Barry Matthews led off the frame with a walk and moved to second on a balk by Daniel Haren. Nate Gold followed with an RBI single and GU was on top 1-0. The Waves battled back to tie the score in the bottom half of the inning with back-to-back singles by Tony Garcia and Danny Garcia. A ground out by Haren scored Tony Garcia for the Pepperdine run.
Pepperdine added two more runs in the sixth as Jared Pitney singled home Tony Garcia and Danny Garcia followed him in as the ball was misplayed in the outfield. Back-to-back doubles by Rock Mills and Duke Sardinha and a RBI single by Woody Cliffords pushed Pepperdine out to a 5-1 advantage. Pitney's home run to center in the eighth looked like it would seal the game for the Waves.
In the ninth, Gonzaga opened the inning with a walk by Jared Hertz and single by Nate Gold. After an infield error loaded the bases with no outs, John Gebbers was hit by the first pitch by Haren closing the score to 6-2. Kyle Rajsich's RBI ground out scored Gold from third to make it 6-3. Eric Rodland drew a walk to load the bases and Pepperdine brought in Jay Adams out of the bullpen. Brian Munhall then hit a ball in front of the plate and Adams tried to go home for the final out of the game, but the ball sailed high and Gonzaga was down 6-5. Matthews (9-2) then gave himself the win with a two-run single to right field.
Eric Everson worked a one, two, three ninth for his fifth save of the season as Gonzaga took a one game advantage in the best of three series. Adams (5-3) was tagged with the loss despite facing only three batters in the ninth. Gold was the only player with multiple hits for Gonzaga going 2-for-4 as the Zags had seven hits. Sardinha was the leading Waves batter with a 3-for-4 day.
