April 25, 2004
Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - The Gonzaga University baseball team continued to gain momentum for a push towards the West Coast Conference Coast Division crown as the Bulldogs (17-22, 10-8 WCC) defeated WCC West Division leader Pepperdine University, 10-3, on Sunday afternoon to win the three-game series at Eddy D. Field Stadium in Malibu. The win was the sixth in seven games for the Bulldogs as they remained 3.5 games behind Loyola Marymount with 12 WCC contests remaining. Gonzaga hosts Santa Clara University next weekend to end WCC cross-divisional play, while LMU hosts Pepperdine in a crucial series.
The Bulldogs opened the offensive output in the fourth inning on Sunday afternoon and never looked back as they pounded out 13 hits to score double-digit runs for the second consecutive day. David Johnson doubled home the Zags first run while Jeff Culpepper came around to score on a bases loaded passed ball to stake GU to a 2-0 lead. GU added four more runs in the fifth as Matt Reding hit his second home run of the weekend, a two-run shot against Waves reliever James Johnson. David Johnson would add his second RBI base knock and Jason Wederspahn dumped in an RBI single to give the Bulldogs a 6-1 advantage.
Gonzaga starter Patrick Donovan (2-2) looked sharp for the second straight start as he worked seven-plus innings allowing only three Pepperdine runs. The Waves scored single runs against Donovan on a Patrick Rooney RBI single in the fourth, Nick Kliebert sacrifice fly in the sixth and a bases loaded walk in the eighth after Donovan had exited the contest leaving two runners on base. John Gonzalez worked the final two innings allowing one hit to secure Donovan's win. Pepperdine starter Robert Della Grotta fell to 0-3 on the season allowing only one earned run in 3.1 innings on the mound.
Leading 6-2, Gonzaga exploded for four additional runs in the eighth as Aaron McGuinness hit a bases loaded triple after Bobby Carlson, Mike Rundle and Wederspahn had all reached, Rundle and Wederspahn hitting singles. Reding then drove home his third run of the day with a sacrifice fly.
Marshall Bratton, Culpepper, Johnson, Wederspahn and McGuinness all finished with two hits for Gonzaga while Kiel Thibault went 1-for-4 to finish the weekend batting .453 on the season. Culpepper's two-hit day had extra meaning for the junior as he moved into the Bulldogs career Top 10 for doubles with his 36th two-bagger. Culpepper moves into a tie for 10th with Carter Masterson (1992-95).
David Uribes, Steve Kleen, Brent Lewis and Rooney all had two hits for Pepperdine as the Waves were only able to connect for 11 singles on the day.
Gonzaga will travel to Washington State University for a Wednesday night game against the Cougars before hosting Santa Clara at Avista Stadium next weekend. Game times for the series with SCU are 3 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
