May 1, 2004
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. - The Gonzaga University Bulldogs won their third straight West Coast Conference series on Saturday afternoon and moved to within 2.5 games of the WCC Coast Division lead as Gonzaga (20-22, 12-8 WCC) picked up a 6-2 win over Santa Clara University (19-26, 8-12 WCC) at Avista Stadium. The win was the also the Bulldogs ninth in their last ten games as Ed Clelland (4-5) tossed a complete game to secure the victory.
Gonzaga jumped on top in the second inning as Bobby Carlson connected for a two-run opposite field home run to right against Broncos starter Chad Fillinger (4-8). Fillinger and Clelland would engage in a pitcher's dual throughout the contest until the Bulldogs finally broke through with four runs in the eighth. Carlson again delivered the big blow for the Bulldogs with his 12th double of the season driving in two runs. Fillinger would surrender six earned runs before exiting with two outs in the eighth. He finished with eight strike outs.
Clelland was masterful for the Zags on the mound as he allowed only two runs during a complete game. The first Santa Clara run scored on a Texas Leaguer base hit by Ryan Chiarelli with two outs in the seventh. The ball landed just out of the reach of center fielder Matt Reding allowing Dustin Realini to score. Realini then tied the game for Santa Clara in the top of the eighth as he singled off the glove of Carlson, swinging on a 3-0 fastball.
The Bulldogs rallied for Clelland in their half of the eighth as Aaron McGuinness walked and stole second with one out. He moved to third on a Fillinger wild pitch before Marshall Bratton hit a bouncing single up the middle to score McGuinness as the Broncos had the infield drawn in. Bratton eventually moved around to third on a stolen base and scored on Fillinger's second wild pitch of the inning. Gonzaga would then load the bases for Carlson to clear with his two-run double.
Carlson finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBI while Kiel Thibault was 3-for-4 to raise his season batting average to .462. Realini and Shawn Epidendio each collected two hits for Santa Clara as Clelland allowed only nine hits, all singles. The two teams will wrap up their three-game WCC series on Sunday afternoon with a 1 p.m. start at Avista Stadium. Gonzaga enters the game 2.5 games behind Loyola Marymount and only a half game behind San Diego in the WCC Coast Division standings. Santa Clara dropped to six games behind WCC West Division leader Pepperdine.
