April 4, 2009
Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - Gonzaga University used another dominant starting pitching performance to earn a 4-1West Coast Conference victory over #26 Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. Saturday afternoon. Senior reliever A.J. Proszek held off another ninth-inning Pepperdine rally to preserve the Gonzaga (20-7, 4-1 WCC) win.
Freshman starting pitcher Ryan Carpenter was just as impressive as Friday's starting pitcher Matt Fields, who allowed one run in eight innings and picked up the win in the series opener. Carpenter (4-2) kept the Waves (16-13, 0-5 WCC) off balance all afternoon, scattering six hits, allowing one run and striking out six before exiting with two outs in the seventh inning.
Senior first baseman Ryan Wiegand and junior catcher Tyson Van Winkle led the Bulldog offense with three hits apiece. Van Winkle drove in three runs while Wiegand scored three times and had two doubles to continue his climb up Gonzaga's all-time career doubles chart, now just two away from Jerrod Wong's top mark of 59.
The Bulldogs gave Carpenter some run support early in the game, scoring two runs in the second inning. Wiegand led off the inning with his first hit of the day, a single back up the middle and one batter later, senior designated hitter Grant Kveder reached after getting hit by the pitch to set up first and second for Van Winkle. He came through with a RBI single to right center scoring Wiegand from second for the first run of the ball game. Kveder then came home on senior third baseman Jason Chatwood's fielder's choice ground ball to second to make it 2-0 Zags.
Van Winkle picked up his second RBI of the game in the sixth as his two-out base hit back up through the middle scored Wiegand from second who had doubled to start the inning.
Pepperdine picked up its lone run in the seventh, benefitting from Carpenter's failed pick-off attempt earlier in the inning to cut the GU lead to 3-1. After allowing a lead-off single to Trent Diedrich, Carpenter's throw over to first base was off target allowing Diedrich to move up to second and he later came across after a series of ground outs.
Gonzaga added an insurance run in the eighth as Wiegand and Van Winkle were at it again. Wiegand's third hit of the day, a one-out double put him in scoring position. Two batters later Van Winkle again came through with a two-out RBI single to left field to make 4-1.
The Waves made things interesting in the later innings, chasing Carpenter after he allowed a bunt single in the seventh. Proszek came in from the bullpen and struck out Ryan Heroy to end the threat. In the ninth, Pepperdine again put runners on base, just as they had in Friday's final frame. The Waves loaded the bases after a single, a fly out, another single, a strike out and a Gonzaga error but the veteran presence of Proszek came through as he got Aaron Gates to fly out to end the game.
Proszek held the Waves scoreless in his 2.1 innings and struck out three to earn his team-leading third save. Pepperdine's Cole Cook (4-2) took the loss after allowing three runs and striking out 10 in 7.1 innings.
The Bulldogs and Waves wrap up their weekend series 1 p.m. Sunday.
