April 7, 2006
SPOKANE, Wash. - This weekend's series in the Pacific Northwest did not get off to a favorable start for the Santa Clara University baseball team Friday afternoon as it dropped a 5-1 decision to the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the series opener.
The Broncos (18-14, 1-3 WCC) managed only five hits off of five pitchers for the Bulldogs (22-10, 4-0 WCC), with only one of those hits coming after the fifth inning. The two teams will return to Avista Stadium tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. as SCU will try to even the series at one game apiece.
Sean O'Neill, whose record fell to 2-4 with the loss, went seven-plus innings on the hill for Santa Clara, keeping the Broncos in the game until running into trouble in the eighth. The freshman from Tucson, Ariz. allowed only six hits but could not get any offensive support as the quintet of Gonzaga pitchers kept the Bronco offense at bay.
The Bulldogs struck first, as Dustin Colclough doubled to start the second inning and was brought home on consecutive groundouts to second. Aaron McGuinness' two-out RBI single in the fifth and Scott Campbell's home run in the sixth pushed the Zag advantage to 3-0.
In the eighth, Darin Holcomb's single followed by a walk to Campbell ended O'Neill's night. With reliever Jeff Lombard on the mound, Colclough and Ryan Wiegand slapped back-to-back RBI singles to put the Broncos in a 5-0 hole.
Santa Clara managed their lone run in the final frame, as Daniel Nava doubled home Eric Newton with two away. Nava was 3-for-4 in the game while Kris Watts and Brady Fuerst accounted for the other two SCU hits.