Gonzaga University
Santa Clara
Santa Clara Ends Baseball Five Game Win Streak
5/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 2, 2004
SPOKANE, Wash. - Santa Clara University exploded for six runs in the third inning and added five insurance runs in the late innings as the Broncos (20-26, 9-12 WCC) ended Gonzaga University's five-game winning streak with an 11-2 win over the Bulldogs (20-23, 12-9 WCC) during Sunday's West Coast Conference series finale at Avista Stadium. With the win Santa Clara avoided the sweep and moved to within five games of WCC West Division leader Pepperdine. Gonzaga fell to 3.5 games behind WCC Coast Division leader Loyola Marymount and a half game behind second place San Diego. Gonzaga and USD play a crucial three-game series next weekend in San Diego before Gonzaga ends the season with six home conference games.
Santa Clara loaded the bases in the third with singles by Michael Lange, Ryan Chiarelli and Nic Crosta against Bulldogs starter Patrick Donovan (2-3). Michael Thompson followed with a two-run single to put Santa Clara on the board. Will Thompson and Dustin Realini would an RBI single and double to push the Broncos lead to 5-1 before Michael Thompson scored the final run on a Donovan wild pitch. Josh Monroe would enter and get Gonzaga out of the inning, Monroe tossing 1.1 innings of relief.
The six runs proved to be all the support Santa Clara starter John Redmond (5-2) would need as the lefty worked six innings allowing six hits and one run. The Bulldogs lone run against Redmond in the first inning as Jeff Culpepper laced an RBI single to center to score Kiel Thibault from second. Thibault would then drive home the Bulldogs second run of the game against Santa Clara closer Anthony Rea with an RBI double in the eighth. Rea worked three innings to pick up his 12th save of the season.
Leading 6-1, Santa Clara added two more runs in the seventh on back-to-back home runs by Michael and Will Thompson. Michael Thompson then capped his outstanding day at the plate in the eighth with an RBI single to center to finish 4-for-5 with 4 RBI.
Gonzaga had three players pick up two hits as Brad Welker, Culpepper and David Johnson all went 2-for-4. John Gonzalez and Chris Albrecht closed the game for the Bulldogs bullpen with three strike outs in 1.2 innings of shutout relief.
