University of Washington
USC
Davidson Goes Deep Three Times In Baseball Win
May 11, 2002 | Baseball
May 11, 2002
LOS ANGELES - Junior Tyler Davidson hit three home runs to lift the Washington baseball team to a 9-3 win over No. 20 USC in the second game of a three-game Pac-10 series Saturday at Dedeaux Field.
Davidson, the Huskies' right fielder from Edmonds (Meadowdale HS), became the first Husky to hit three homers in a game in the 10-year career of head coach Ken Knutson and, while single-game records are hard to come by prior to the 1980s, is likely the first Husky to accomplish the feat in the post-World War II era as in most years, two or three homers led the team for the entire season. His homers went to center, right and left field.
The win evened the series at one game apiece and gave the Huskies (11-6 Pac-10, 25-21-1 overall) sole possession of second place in the Pac-10 once again, one game behind the first-place Trojans (12-5, 29-19). Stanford, which had been tied with the Huskies for second, lost to Arizona State, 10-2, Saturday.
Husky starter Sean White (Mercer Island) hadn't allowed a hit until there were two outs in the bottom of the third. Jon Brewster singled to left and center fielder Brian Barre followed with a towering home run to right field, his ninth of the year, to give USC a 2-0 lead.
White, however, settled in after the home run, retiring the next eight USC batters in order. White improved to 4-2 on the year with the win as he held the Trojans to three runs on only five hits while striking out six over eight and one-third innings.
USC freshman starter Matt Chico also got off to a good start, holding the Huskies hitless through the first three innings. In the fourth, UW catcher Aaron Hathaway (Vancouver/Columbia River) led off with a single, but was caught trying to steal second base before Davidson blasted a home run to straightaway center field.
After Davidson's homer, Chico struck out Husky center fielder Jay Garthwaite (Kent/Kent- Meridian), but the third strike got past the catcher allowing Garthwaite to reach first. Back- to-back singles from John Otness (Tacoma/Wilson) and Mike Wagner (Woodinville) sent Garthwaite home with the tying run. After a single from Kyle Larsen (Redmond/Eastlake) loaded the bases, Michael Done (Littleton, Colo.) singled Otness home to give the Huskies a 3-2 lead.
With one out in the fourth, Hathaway singled again before Davidson sliced his second homer of the day just inside the right-field foul pole. In the sixth, the Huskies chased Chico (6-4) when Larsen was hit by a pitch, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored the UW's sixth run on a single from Done.
In the seventh, Hathaway singled once again and Davidson followed with a long homer to left-center, his third of the game and 10th of the year. Garthwaite then followed with his 13th round-tripper of the year to nearly the same place, giving the UW a 9-2 lead. In his bid for a fourth homer in the ninth inning, Davidson sent USC left fielder Kris Cox to the warning track, where the putout was made. Davidson finished 3-for-5 with five runs batted in.
The Huskies and USC close out the three-game series Sunday at 1:00 p.m. A Washington victory would land the Huskies in a tie with the Trojans for first place and the UW holding the tie-breaker. The game will air live on KKNW AM-1150.
LINESCORE Pac-10 Conference Baseball Washington 9, #20 USC 3 Washington 000 321 300 -- 9 13 0 USC 002 000 001 -- 3 5 0 Sean White, Brian Carter (9) and Aaron Hathaway. Matt Chico, Jon Williams (6), Josh Rummonds (7), Bret Butler (9) and Alberto Concepcion. W - White (4-2). L - Chico (6-4). HR - UW, Tyler Davidson 3 (10), Jay Garthwaite (13); USC, Brian Barre (9), Bill Peavey (12). T - 2:57. A - 579.
