May 20, 2011
Box Score
MALIBU, Calif. - Ryan Carpenter and Cody Martin combined 12 strikeouts and an early lead gave the Gonzaga University baseball a 3-2 victory over Pepperdine University in the West Coast Conference series opener Friday afternoon.
With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 30-16-1 and 13-3 WCC. It is the fourth time in five years Mark Machtolf's ballclub has won 30 games in a season. The Bulldogs also gave the eight-year head coach his 100th WCC win.
Carpenter (8-1) struck out nine in seven innings of work and allowed one earned run. Martin went the rest of the way retiring the Waves (20-29, 5-11 WCC) in order to earn his conference-leading 11th save.
The Bulldogs were limited to singles on their eight hits. Tyler Chism, Royce Bolinger and Thomas Henderson each turned in a pair while Andy Hunter and Billy Moon recorded one. Moon extended his hitting streak to 11-games matching his season-best.
Waves starting pitcher Aaron Gates (3-5) went seven innings and allowed all three runs on six hits and seven free passes.
Gates got the game started with back-to-back walks to Eric Lane and Chism while Moon's single up the middle brought in the Bulldogs first run of the game. After Cameron Edman laid down a sacrifice bunt to Gates, Bolinger hit a hard liner to second baseman and forcing out Moon at second for the double play.
Hunter christened the second inning with single down the right field line. Marco Gonzales followed with a walk and Henderson moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Halcomb's ground out to the third baseman was enough to score in the second run of the game.
Chism led off the third inning with a single through the right side. Gates pickoff throw passed the first baseman and Chism reached to third base due to a spacious foul territory at Eddy D. Field Stadium. After Moon flied out to center field, Gates walked Edman and hit Bolinger to load the bases. Hunter won the battle with Gates and walked in the third run of the game. The Bulldogs looked to add more but Gonzales grounded into a double play to end the inning.
After retiring 12 of the first 13 batters, Carpenter began to struggle in the fifth. He surrendered a leadoff single on a chopper to the second baseman Henderson and following a sacrifice bunt and a stolen base, the Waves broke the shutout with a RBI single to Gonzales, leaving first base uncovered for the putout. Following a wild pitch put runners at second and third, a passed ball brought in the Waves second run and moved the tying run to third.
Carpenter not only got out of the fifth inning but went on to retire eight straight before handing the ball to Martin.
The Bulldogs will send Tyler Olson to the hill for game two with the Waves Saturday at 1 p.m.
