Gonzaga University
Saint Mary's
Five Unearned Runs Lead To Baseball Loss
3/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 21, 2004
MORAGA, Calif. - Saint Mary's College (6-17, 1-2 WCC) scored five unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Sunday afternoon as the Gaels avoided a three-game West Coast Conference sweep with an 8-3 victory over the Gonzaga University Bulldogs (8-12, 2-1 WCC) at Louis Guisto Field in Moraga. The Bulldogs had won the first two games of the series on Saturday afternoon and will now head home to host the University of Washington on Monday and Tuesday afternoon at Avista Stadium. Game time for both contests is 2 p.m.
The Bulldogs jumped out a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning as Aaron McGuinness singled home Marshall Bratton after Bratton's lead-off double. Chris Sinner would drive home the Zags second run of the inning with Kiel Thibault delivering the final RBI with a single to left. Gonzaga would finish the fifth inning with four hits against Saint Mary's starter Jordan Simo, but Simo (4-3) would settle down and allow only two more GU hits during the complete game win.
Bulldogs starter Matt Reding was just as effective as Simo allowing only seven Saint Mary's hits during 6.1 innings of work. The Gaels were able to score one run against Reding in the bottom of the fifth on a single by Gilbert Gil. Sam Carter would knot the game at 3-3 in the seventh with a two-run home run to left center. Nate Williams would enter in relief of Reding and close out the seventh for Gonzaga.
In the Saint Mary's eighth John Gonzalez (1-2) would set down two of the first three Gaels batters with the middle batter reaching on an error. The error would eventually lead to a bases loaded situation for pinch-hitter Preston Young who hit a grand slam to lift Saint Mary's to the win. Gil Bellows would add the final RBI with a single before Gonzalez could get out of the inning.
Thibault and McGuinness each finished with two hits for Gonzaga while four Saint Mary's players finished with two hits, Carter among those with two hits as he connected for a double and home run.
