Gonzaga University
Santa Clara
Baseball Pounds Santa Clara, 17-2
3/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 25, 2002
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Gonzaga (12-13, 3-3 WCC) hitters took out their frustrations against the Santa Clara (12-15, 3-2 WCC) pitching staff on Monday afternoon as the Bulldogs pounded out 23 hits en route to a 17-2 win over the Broncos at Buck Shaw Stadium. It was the most runs scored by a Gonzaga team since an 18 run outburst against San Francisco to end the 1999 season.
Santa Clara scored the games first two runs against Gonzaga starter Ed Clelland (2-2) with four hits in the fifth. Pat Peavey drove home a run with a single to left and Dan Vincenzi collected an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Clelland would settle down and work eight innings for the win.
The Bulldogs provided Clelland all the offense he needed in the sixth inning with five runs against Broncos starter John Redmond (3-3). Brian Munhall's two-run single with runners on first and second was the big blow of the inning with Nate Gold, Sam Hess and John Gebbers all adding RBI singles.
Gonzaga tacked on two more runs in the eighth as Gebbers doubled down the rightfield line to score Hess and Munhall. The Zags then exploded on Broncos pitching with ten runs on nine hits during the ninth inning. Kevin Richardson hit a grand slam and Gold connected for his 16th home run of the season to pace the Bulldogs offensive attack in the frame.
Richardson finished 4-for-5 at the plate while Grant Zurmely, Gold and Gebbers each added three hits. Joey Gomes, Ryan Chiarelli and Shawn Epidendio collected two hits apiece for SCU.
Gonzaga will open its home West Coast Conference season this Thursday, Friday and Saturday against Saint Mary's College (8-12, 1-2 WCC). Start time for Thursday and Friday is 2 p.m. with a noon start on Saturday at August/A.R.T. Stadium.
