University of Washington
Texas Tech (NCAA Regional)
Texas Tech Beats UW, 5-4, With Ninth-Inning Run
May 31, 2002 | Baseball
May 31, 2002
HOUSTON - The Washington baseball team rallied to tie Texas Tech at 4-4 on Tyler Davidson's eighth- inning homer, but Jon Slack singled home Bryon Smith with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Red Raiders to a 5-4 win Friday at Reckling Park in the two teams' first game in an NCAA regional.
Slack's single came off of Husky ace Shawn Kohn (Woodinville) who threw his ninth complete game of the season. Kohn fell short of breaking the school record for wins. At 11-5 now, he shares the mark with Jake Kringen.
Kohn, who wriggled out of a first-and-third, no-out jam in the eighth, got two quick outs before Smith narrowly missed ending the game on a home run, doubling off the fence in left-center. Slack, Tech's leadoff hitter, followed with a single to right for the game winner.
"Shawn was probably facing his last hitter," said Husky coach Ken Knutson. "But we know he can throw a lot of pitches in a game. He can withstand a lot of use. He's done it all year."
"I felt all right," Kohn said. "I left a pitch out over the plate and he hit it well."
The Huskies (30-26-1) fall into the loser's bracket, where they'll face Harvard Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. CDT (9 a.m. PDT). Texas Tech (42-18) will take on Rice, who beat Harvard earlier Friday. The winner of the UW-Harvard game will play Saturday night against the loser of Saturday afternoon's Rice-Tech game.
The Red Raiders got the scoring started quickly in the first inning. Jon Slack led off with a single, stole second and scored when Scooter Jordan doubled down the left-field line. Jordan moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a single from catcher Willie Durazo to give Tech a 2-0 lead.
Washington scored its first run in the third when freshman Taylor Johnson (Vancouver/Skyview) doubled and scored when shortstop Tila Reynolds (Renton/Liberty) singled through the left side.
In the fourth, the Huskies tied the score when Michael Done (Littleton, Colo.) singled, moved to second on a single from Jay Garthwaite (Kent/Kent-Meridian) and scored on a single from John Otness (Tacoma/Wilson). The Huskies went on to load the bases with two outs, but Johnson's line drive was snagged by third baseman Jake Brown, probably saving two runs.
Tech cam back quickly with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Durazo singled and moved to second on a single from Travis McElroy. After Brown singled to right, scoring Durazo, the throw from Johnson, the UW right fielder, went long, allowing to the runners to move to second and third.
The error came into play when Austin Cranford hit a fly ball to center, allowing McElroy to score from third base on the sacrifice fly, giving the Raiders a 4-2 lead through four innings.
Washington cut the Tech lead to 4-3 in the seventh, scoring a run when Greg Isaacson (Aberdeen) walked, moved to second on a groundout and scored on a two-out single by Reynolds.
In the bottom of the seventh, Tech looked to add some insurance and Brown and Cranford led off with back-to-back singles to put runners at first and third. Kohn, however, got a groundout and a strikeout out and, after walking Jordan to load the bases, induced a groundout from Gera Alvarez to end the inning with Tech hanging onto a one-run lead.
Tech brought in ace closer Steve Rowe to start the eighth inning. Rowe entered the game with a 1.42 ERA, a 9-2 record and eight saves, but Davidson (Edmonds/Meadowdale) led off the eighth by belting a 2-2 pitch from Rowe well out of the park to left for his 14th homer of the season and seventh in the last 11 games, tying the game at 4-4.
Rowe picked up the win to improve to 10-2.
The Huskies' game vs. Harvard will air live in Seattle on KKNW AM-1150.
LINESCORE NCAA Regional, Houston, Texas Texas Tech 5, Washington 4 Washington 001 100 110 -- 4 10 1 Texas Tech 200 200 001 -- 5 11 1 Shawn Kohn and Aaron Hathaway. Steve Gooch, Matt Harbin (7), Steve Rowe (8) and Willie Durazo. W - Rowe (10-2). L - Kohn (11-5). 2B - UW, Taylor Johnson; TTU, Scooter Jordan, Bryon Smith. HR - UW, Tyler Davidson (14). T - 2:45. A - 3031.
