Gonzaga University
San Francisco
Zurmely Homers Twice As Zags Top Dons
4/12/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 12, 2002
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Junior college transfer shortstop Grant Zurmely, who had just four RBI in his last 13 games, belted a pair of two-run home runs Friday to propel Gonzaga University to an 8-4 win over the University of San Francisco in the first game of a three-game West Coast Conference baseball series at Benedetti Diamond.
Zurmely, who joined the Bulldogs from Edmonds Community College, was batting .250 with one home run and 10 RBI prior to Friday's explosion. He had a season-high three RBI last Saturday at home against the University of Portland.
Zurmely's first home run off Dons' (8-30, 1-14 West Division) starter Jeremy Kinney came in the third inning. Kevin Cave opened the inning with a walk, advanced to second on John Gebbers' sacrifice bunt and came home on Zurmely's two-out home run to left.
The scenario was much the same in the fifth inning. Cave opened the inning with a single to center, went to second on a passed ball and scored when Zurmely delivered another two-out home run to left.
The Bulldogs (18-16, 7-6 Coast Division) got a pair of insurance runs on Cave's double in the ninth that scored Brian Munhall and Nate Gold. Gold led off with a single, Munhall singled with one out and both runners advanced on a groundout before Cave delivered his hit down the right field line.
Gonzaga starter Ed Clelland went 7.1 innings in running his record to 4-3. He walked two, fanned five and pitched out of potential big innings in the third, fifth and sixth innings. A pair of leadoff singles and a sacrifice bunt had runners on second and third with one out in the third, but Clelland enticed Joe Jacobitz to ground to Zurmely who started an inning-ending double play. In the fifth, two-out singles by former Bulldog second baseman (1998) Luke Gradishar and Amand Gaerlan had the Dons threatening, but Jacobitz struck out. One inning later Royce Fukuroku and Alfonso Valdez had two-out singles, but Jimmy Milkovich flied out to center to end the threat.
USF finally got through to Clelland for three runs in the seventh. With one out, Gaerlan hit a two-run homer to left and Jacobitz followed with a solo shot down the left field line. Clelland departed in favor of Eric Everson after Milkovich's RBI double scored pinch runner Dan Akenhead. After hitting pinch hitter Ryan Sittauer, Everson got out of the jam by getting Gradishar on a called third strike - the runners executing a double steal on the strikeout - and Gaerlan on a fly ball to left. Everson retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his fifth save in his last seven appearances.
Gonzaga had a couple of opportunities to blow the game open. Gebbers' bases-loaded, one-out sacrifice fly in the sixth scored Munhall. The inning ended when Sam Hess was gunned down at the plate on Rodland's single to center.
In the eighth, Cave doubled home Munhall who had opened the inning with a single. With runners on second and third, Dons' reliever Zach Brooks walked Eric Rodland intentionally to load the bases and face the red-hot Zurmely. The strategy worked as Zurmely grounded to short to end the inning.
The teams will complete the series Saturday and Sunday with single games beginning at 1 p.m. Both games can be heard on KFAN 790 AM in Spokane and on this web site.
