Gonzaga University
Fresno State
Baseball Drops Pepsi/Johnny Quik Opener, 9-5
3/11/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 11, 2002
CORRECTED STORY AFTER UPDATED BOX WAS RECEIVED
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State (9-12) scored four runs in the third inning Monday night as the host Bulldogs defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs, 9-5, in the opening round of the Pepsi/Johnny Quik Baseball Classic at Beiden Field. Gonzaga (8-9) will play UC Santa Barbara at 4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon for the Zags second game of the six-day tournament.
Kevin Richardson staked Gonzaga to an early 1-0 lead as he led off the second inning with a homerun to centerfield. That would be all the offense Fresno State starter Sean Ruthven (1-1) would allow until the Zags attempted a late rally in the seventh and eighth innings.
Ben Fritz provided Ruthven will all the early offense he would need as he hit a two-out three run homerun in the third inning. Fresno State's other run in the big inning came courtesy of an RBI single by Casey McGehee. Gonzaga starter John Gonzalez (0-2) would get through that third but was lifted in the fourth after Brad Harper opened the inning with a triple and came around to score on a passed ball. Steve Hare pitched the three innings of relief for Gonzaga and Brad Welker finished up the final two innings.
Fresno State added two insurance runs in the fifth inning as Harper was hit by a pitch with bases loaded and Scott Beshears hit a sacrifice fly.
Gonzaga would mount a comeback in the seventh and eighth innings as a Danny Evans RBI single cut the lead to 7-2. In the eighth inning Jeff Culpepper, Kemp Quackenbush and Sam Hess would all hit solo homeruns to close the gap to 7-5. Fresno State responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the eighth on a Brandon Esparza RBI triple and Fritz RBI single.
Gonaga would make one more charge in the ninth loading the bases with no outs. Fresno State closer Mike Hernandez was able to induce a game ending double play to pick up his second save of the season.
Quackenbush led Gonzaga with a 3-for-4 night as he extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Richardson added two hits for GU, both solo homeruns. McGehee led Fresno State with three hits while Fritz drove home four runs.
In other day one action at the Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic, Illinois State defeated UC Santa Barbara, 4-3, Oral Roberts defeated Fordham, 7-1, and Liberty tied Pacific, 9-9.
