May 2, 2010
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University closed out its West Coast Conference weekend series against Santa Clara University with a 6-1 loss at the Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field Sunday afternoon.
Steven Halcomb led the way with three hits and Billy Moon picked up an RBI for the Zags (14-31-1, 2-9-1 WCC) who also had Mark Castellitto extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Santa Clara (18-23, 4-10 WCC) put up runs in four consecutive innings and took advantage of three Gonzaga errors to post a series sweep.
Bulldogs starting pitcher Ryan Carpenter was sharp early on, working around a couple Bronco base-hits to keep them off the scoreboard in the first three innings. Gonzaga received a bad break in the fourth inning as a line drive double off the bat of SCU's Pat Stover to right field hung up in the wind and carried over Moon, allowing two runs to score.
The Broncos added a run in the fifth, another one in the sixth before hitting two solo homers in the seventh to build a 6-0 lead.
Gonzaga picked up its run in the bottom half of the seventh as Andy Hunter blooped a ball that landed just inside the right field foul line to pick up his team-leading 15th double of the season to start the inning. After a SCU wild pitch moved him up to third base, Moon lined a pitch right at the Bronco right fielder who made the catch allowing Hunter to tag up and come across to make it 6-1.
Santa Clara starting pitcher Chris Mendoza kept the Zags off balance throughout the afternoon, allowing just the one run in his eight innings of work to earn the win.
Gonzaga will not play next week due to final exams and graduation. The Bulldogs will head to the bay area to complete its suspended game at the University of San Francisco May 13 before traveling to Moraga, Calif. for a three-game series with Saint Mary's College May 14-16.
