May 9, 2004
Box Score
SAN DIEGO - The Gonzaga University Bulldogs (21-25, 13-11 WCC) avoided a three-game sweep and kept their West Coast Conference title hopes alive a little longer as they knocked off the University of San Diego, 8-7, at Cunningham Stadium. The Toreros (30-21, 16-11 WCC) won the opening two games of the series and captured the season series against Gonzaga 4-2. Both teams will now wait on the outcome of the Loyola Marymount/Saint Mary's series being played on Sunday and Monday to figure out their championship scenarios.
Patrick Donovan (3-3) worked eight strong innings allowing nine San Diego hits and six earned runs while John Gonzalez picked up his third save of the season despite allowing one run to score in the ninth. San Diego starter Justin Blaine (4-3) lasted until the fifth inning allowing five of the Bulldogs eight runs while Patrick Lucy surrendered the remaining three GU runs in 1.2 innings of work.
Trailing 4-2 entering the fifth inning Gonzaga exploded for six runs against Blaine to gain their first lead of the weekend. Bobby Carlson started the scoring with a bases loaded walk against Lucy after Blaine had loaded the bases with a single and two free passes. David Johnson followed with a hard hit ball to short which San Diego bobbled to extend the inning and allow two Gonzaga runs to score. Matt Reding added an RBI single before Marshall Bratton singled up the middle to score the Bulldogs final two runs.
Gonzaga had scored their first two runs of the weekend in the fourth inning as Carlson had an RBI single followed by an RBI double by Johnson. Gonzaga had been shutout in their previous three games against USD before scoring eight runs on Sunday.
San Diego opened the game with three runs in the bottom of the second, Freddy Sandoval delivering a two-run single to spark the scoring run. TJ Merritt grounded out in the fourth to score the Toreros run that extended their lead to 4-2 at the time. Keoni Ruth connected for a two-run double in the eighth while Tom Caple added an RBI single in the ninth to bring San Diego to within one run. Gonzalez would strand Caple on first base to end the game. Ruth led USD with three hits.
Gonzaga was led by Bratton going 4-for-5 while Kiel Thibault, Culpepper and Carlson all had two hits. The Bulldogs will return to action on Tuesday afternoon as they host Lewis-Clark State College at Avista Stadium at 3 p.m. Gonzaga will then host Saint Mary's College on the weekend with games at 1 p.m. on Friday and Sunday, a noon start on Saturday. That series will allow Gonzaga the chance to make up ground on LMU and San Diego as both those schools take a weekend off from WCC action.
