Gonzaga University
Whitworth College
Baseball Blows By Whitworth 21-1
4/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 16, 2002
SPOKANE, Wash. - Nate Gold increased his NCAA home run leading total to 27 as he hit three more on Tuesday afternoon during Gonzaga's 21-1 win over Whitworth College (14-15). Gonzaga (20-17) would hit nine home runs as a team with Kevin Richardson also having a multiple home run day with two.
Whitworth opened the game with the long ball as Jake Krummel hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning to score the Pirates lone run. Gold would hit his first home run in the bottom of the inning and Richardson would drive home Jeff Culpepper with a single up the middle to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead.
A solo home run by John Gebbers in the second and a two-run single by Kemp Quackenbush in the third increased the damage against Pirates starter Josh Mills (1-4) as Gonzaga opened a 6-1 lead. Mills would give way to the Pirates bullpen in the fourth and the Bulldogs took full advantage with 11 runs over the next three innings.
Gold added a three-run home run during the Zags four-run fourth inning and a two-run home run in the sixth. Richardson, Quackenbush and Reding all added home runs as the Bulldogs scored seven runs in the sixth. Reding hit a solo shot while Richardson and Quackenbush each had two-run homers. Richardson would also add a two-run home run in the eighth to end GU's scoring.
Gold and Richardson each finished with three hits with Gold collecting six RBI and Richardson five RBI. Culpepper led the Bulldogs with a 4-for-6 day at the plate. Greg Brooks improved to 5-1 for the Bulldogs pitching two innings with four strike outs. Whitworth catcher Jason Martin collected two of the Pirates six hits.
Gold's 27 home runs move him into a tie for second place on the West Coast Conference single-season home run list. He is tied with former Pepperdine player Brad Bierley and is now just three behind Taggert Bozied's record of 30 set during the 1999 season at San Francisco. Gold also moved his career home run total to 40 which ranks sixth on the WCC career list and second on the Gonzaga list. Jeff Hainline is Gonzaga's career home run leader with 54.
