April 11, 2008

Box Score

Spokane, Wash. - Five Santa Clara University home runs proved to be the deciding factor Friday night as the Gonzaga University baseball team fell 12-4 to the Broncos at Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field in Spokane. The five Bronco home runs accounted for 10 of Santa Clara's 12 runs. The game was the opening game of a crucial three-game West Coast Conference series.

Gonzaga (17-15, 1-5 WCC) starter Brandon Harmon (2-5) was charged with the loss as the senior allowed five runs on ten hits over 5.0 innings. Cory Powell, Chris Highmark and Brandon Blank all made appearances out of the Zags' bullpen in the game. Santa Clara (18-12, 4-3 WCC) starter Nate Garcia (3-2) earned the victory, allowing two runs on 10 hits over 7.0 innings while striking out six.

The only Santa Clara runs that did not come via a long ball were scored in the top of the first inning as Ryan Conan and Gabe Alcantar each recorded run-scoring singles to right to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead.

SCU added to its total in the top of the third as Nathan Faulkner hit a solo home run to left field. In his next at-bat, Faulkner posted the second long ball of the game, again, with a solo shot to left, giving Santa Clara a 4-0 edge.

Conan hit the Broncos' third home run of the night in the top of the fifth with a one-run long ball to left.

Gonzaga posted its first run of the game with a RBI ground-out by Ryan Wiegand in the top of the fifth inning. Evan Wells, who led off the frame with an infield hit, was brought home on the play.

The Broncos added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh, thanks to a three-run shot to left by Jon Karcich.

Marcus McKimmy posted the Zags' lone home run of the evening in the bottom of the seven as the senior hit his fifth long ball of the season - a solo shot to left.

In the top of the ninth inning, Santa Clara added another four runs on a grand slam to right by Brady Fuerst.

The Bulldogs rallied in the bottom of the ninth, falling short but adding two runs. McKimmy and Wiegand drove in the pair of inning runs on doubles to cap scoring at 12-4.

All nine batters in the Gonzaga starting line-up posted hits in the game, with Jason Chatwood, McKimmy and Wiegand each recording two hits apiece. Gonzaga posted 12 total hits in the game but fallied to drive in runs as the Zags stranded 11 runners on base.

The Bulldogs and Broncos will battle again Saturday in the second game of the series. Matt Fields is expected to earn the start for GU in the 1 p.m. game.