April 1, 2005

Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Kiel Thibault, Aaron McGuinness and Darin Holcomb each had three hits as the Gonzaga University baseball team (17-9, 4-2 WCC) rolled past the University of San Diego (18-16-1, 4-6 WCC) 14-0 in a West Cost Conference game extending their winning streak to five.

Bulldog right-hander Josh Monroe (5-1) picked up the win pitching his first complete game shutout of the season. Monroe scattered seven hits over nine innings while striking out six on the afternoon.

The Zags had all 10 batters they sent to the plate record at least one hit, with seven of those batters recording multiple hits. Thibault went 3-for-6 with one RBI, one double and two runs scored, Holcomb went 3-for-5 with one RBI, one double and two runs scored and McGuinness went 3-for-5 with two runs scored to lead the offense for GU.

The Bulldogs pounded out 20 hits against the Toreros with Justin Blaine (5-4) and Russell Holzhauler taking the brunt of the damage. Blaine allowed six runs on 10 hits over six innings of work in taking the loss for USD and Holzhauler allowed seven runs on nine hits in 2.1 innings of work.

The Bulldogs did most of their scoring damage in the eighth inning as they scored seven runs on eight hits. First baseman Bobby Carlson got things started with his two-run double to right field bringing across Holcomb and Scott Campbell. Carlson came across on Shawn Wayt's RBI single to center field. Will Ayala then brought in two more runs with his single to right field. GU capped the scoring for the inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Austin Highberger and Holcomb.

The Bulldogs would score one run in each of the first and sixth innings, three runs in the third inning and two runs in the seventh inning to round out its 14 runs on the day.

The Bulldogs will return to the diamond on Saturday in hopes of capturing the three-game series with the Toreros in a 1 p.m. WCC game at Cunningham Stadium.