May 11, 2003
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University baseball team evened up its three-game series with Gonzaga at one game apiece with an 8-1 victory Sunday afternoon at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Broncos improved their record to 28-25 overall and 18-8 in West Coast Conference play while the Bulldogs fell to 23-24-1 overall and 11-15 in league action.
Santa Clara scored once in the second and three more times in the third to take an early 4-0 lead as two Gonzaga errors led to all four of the Broncos' runs. Michael Thompson picked up the game's first RBI with a single to center in the second. Jason Matteucci's sacrifice fly in the third led to the second run while a Will Thompson triple gave SCU a 3-0 lead. Will Thompson came around to score the fourth run when Michael Thompson reached on a Danny Evans error.
Scott Dierks picked up his third hit of the game in the top of the fourth inning with a double to left field and scored his second run of the game one batter later on a RBI single to center by Jack Headley. The final three runs that the Broncos scored came in the bottom of the sixth inning as A.J. LaBarbera connected on his third home run of the season, driving in Will Thompson and Jim Wallace.
Sam Hess broke up the shutout attempt for the Broncos in the top of the seventh inning as he singled home Gordon Corder who reached on a double earlier in the inning.
Kellan McConnell improved to 3-4 on the season for Santa Clara as he went eight full innings in which he allowed only one run on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts. Andrew Slorp threw the ninth inning and struck out two of the four batters he faced.
Eric Dworkis took the loss for the Bulldogs as he allowed eight runs, four of which were earned, on 12 hits with six walks and two strikeouts in six innings of work. Darrin Trautmann and Kris White combined to throw the final two innings as neither pitcher allowed a run.
Will Thompson and Dierks each finished the day with three hits while Headley and Joe Diefenderfer collected two apiece. A.J. LaBarbera's three RBI led the team, followed closely behind by Michael Thompson's two. David Hoffmire came in as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and picked up a single in the eighth.
Corder and Hess combined for five of the six Gonzaga hits in the game. Jeff Culpepper was the only other Bulldog to register a hit, with his coming in the fourth inning.
Santa Clara and the Zags will conclude their three-game series Monday afternoon in Buck Shaw Stadium at 2:30 p.m. Following that game the Broncos will remain at home for their final regular season series with Saint Mary's, beginning Friday, May 16 at 6 p.m.