Gonzaga University
Portland
Donovan Gem Gives Bulldogs Win
4/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 17, 2005
PORTLAND, Ore. - Patrick Donovan pitched no-hit ball for six innings and Gonzaga University broke up a scoreless game late in taking a 5-1 West Coast Conference baseball victory over the University of Portland on Sunday at Joe Etzel Field.
The win was the second straight for the Bulldogs in the weather-interrupted three-game series. The teams will play the third and final game of the series Monday at noon. After Friday's game was postponed by rain, the Bulldogs took a 3-1 victory on Saturday and a double-header was slated for Sunday. But wet conditions Sunday morning forced a 1 p.m. start rather than the schedule noon twinbill, and the decision was made to stretch the series into Monday.
Gonzaga (22-13, 9-4 in the WCC Coast Division) has a 1.5-game lead over the University of San Diego (10-8) and a 2.5-game lead over Loyola Marymount University (7-7). Portland fell to 12-22 overall, 3-11 in the West Division of the WCC.
Donovan went 7.2 innings, allowed five hits, one earned run, walked two and fanned two in running his record to 5-4. He lost his no-hit bid when Jason Krohn led off the seventh inning with a single ro right-centerfield. Portland starter Ari Ronick went 6.1 innings, allowed six hits, 3 runs, two earned runs, walked one and struck out six. Brandon Harmon went the final 1.1 innings in relief of Donovan to pick up his second save of the season.
Gonzaga broke open a scoreless pitching battle between Donovan and Ronick with a single run in the sixth and two more in the seventh.
In the sixth, Scott Campbell led off with a single to left and Darin Holcomb followed with a RBI double down the left field line. In the seventh, Aaron McGuinness started the rally with a double to left and went to third on a one-out single to left by Mike Terry. Josh Roberts came on in relief of Ronick, and Jackson Brennan was called on to pinch hit for Brandon Blank. Brennan delivered a run-scoring single to left to plate McGuinness. Campbell was safe on a fielding error by the first baseman to score Terry with the unearned run. Thibault was walked intentionally with two out to load the bases, but Bobby Carlson grounded to third to end the inning.
The Pilots got one run back in the eighth. Gustaf Little was walked to open the inning and went to second on a Donovan wild pitch. Back-to-back groundouts scored Little, and following singles by Andrew Wrisley and Jason Krohn, Donovan was relieved by Brandon Harmon, who fanned Travis Vetters to end the inning.
The Bulldogs added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth. Campbell led off with a single to left and later scored on Jeff Culpepper's base-loaded walk. Thibault later scored on a McGuinness fielder's choice.
Gonzaga stranded 11 runners and left the bases loaded in the third and seventh innings.
