April 22, 2005
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. - Senior center fielder Jeff Culpepper's two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted the Gonzaga University baseball team (24-14, 11-4 West Coast Conference) to a 5-4 come-from-behind WCC win over visiting Pepperdine University (25-13, 11-4 WCC).
With the Bulldogs trailing 4-3 heading into the eighth inning the Zags put on their rally caps and put up two runs to capture the win. Junior catcher Kiel Thibault led off the inning with a walk. Culpepper then stepped to the plate and launched a laser shot over the right field fence off Pepperdine relief pitcher Steve Kleen to lift the Bulldogs to victory.
Pepperdine got out to an early lead as they scored their first two runs of the game in the first inning on Chad Tracy's RBI single to right field which brought Luke Salas home for an unearned run. Kleen then hit a solo home run to cap the scoring for the inning. The Waves would add two more runs in the third on a Kleen's bases loaded walk and a Donald Brown sacrifice fly.
The Zags then took back two runs in the fourth inning as Bobby Carlson hit a single to left field which brought Culpepper home from third. On the same play the Pepperdine left fielder committed a fielding error which allowed Jackson Brennan to round third base and head home for the second run of the game for GU. The Bulldogs added one more run in the fifth inning when Culpepper drove in Scott Campbell on a fielder's choice.
Culpepper led the Bulldogs offense going 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.
Junior right-hander Josh Monroe (7-2) picked up the win for the Bulldogs allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits while striking out four in eight innings of work. Brandon Harmon picked up the save for GU allowing no runs on no hits in one inning of relief. Kleen (3-3) was saddled with the loss for the Waves as he allowed two runs on one hit in one inning of work.
The Bulldogs and Waves will return to Avista Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the second game of a three-game series.
