University of Washington
UC Riverside
Fenton's Streak Broken As UW Falls, 9-8
February 28, 2004 | Baseball
Feb. 28, 2004
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Washington's All-America closer, Will Fenton, had his shutout streak broken after 43 and one- third scoreless innings Saturday night at UC Riverside rallied for four runs in the ninth to beat the 22nd-ranked Huskies, 9-8, at the Riverside Baseball Invitational.
The Huskies (6-2), who saw their six-game winning streak snapped, entered the ninth ahead, 8-5. Fenton walked the leadoff man and then gave up a double to Brian Steinmeyer. Pinch hitter Louie Hernandez followed with a single to drive in two runs. After a strikeout, Fenton hit Scott Powis with a pitch before Brett Bigler singled to send home Hernandez with the tying run.
Matt Cunningham followed with a single through the left side to drive in the winning run and hand Fenton (1-1) the loss. Fenton hadn't surrendered a run, earned or not, since the late stages of the 2002 season.
In the top of the ninth, the Huskies had broken a 5-5 tie and taken an 8-5 lead when junior DH Nick Batkoski drove in three with a two-out, bases-loaded double.
In the fifth inning, Washington broke a scoreless tie, posting four runs with two outs. Singles from John Otness and Greg Isaacson put runners on the corners. Shortstop Brent Lillibridge followed with a triple to right to drive in two and then scored when the relay throw to third was errant.
Center fielder Taylor Johnson and catcher Aaron Hathaway followed with back-to-back doubles to plate another run, giving the UW a 4-0 lead. In the fifth, the Dawgs tacked on one more when Ben Johnson singled and eventually came around on a Kyle Larsen sacrifice fly.
UW freshman starter Tim Lincecum, the state's Gatorade Player of the Year after leading Liberty High to the state 3A title last year, faced the minimum over the first five innings. He allowed a single, a walk and a hit batter during that stretch, but got two double plays and a pickoff from catcher Aaron Hathaway. No UCR player reached second base through the first five innings.
In the sixth, however, UCR loaded the bases with one out on two walks and a single. Lincecum got a infield flyout for the second out before being relieved by junior Joel Villalobos, who walked Tony Festa to force in the Highlanders' first run before surrendering a grand slam to catcher Nick Salotti to tie the game at 5-5.
UCR starter Matt Thiessen lasted seven and two-thirds innings, but didn't figure in the decision, allowing five runs on nine hits.
The Huskies finish up their weekend in Riverside Sunday with an 11:00 a.m. game against Pac-10 rival Oregon State (7-1). Next up, the UW plays host to Missouri in a three-game series at Husky Ballpark, Friday through Sunday.
LINESCORE UC Riverside 9, #22 Washington 8 Washington 000 041 003 -- 8 11 0 UC Riverside 000 005 004 -- 9 9 2 Tim Lincecum, Joel Villalobos (6), Trent Baysinger (8), Will Fenton (9) and Aaron Hathaway. Matt Thiessen, Kevan Kelley (8), Brian Hoff (9) and Nick Salotti. W - Hoff (2-1). L - Fenton (1-1). 2B - UW, Taylor Johnson, Hathaway, Nick Batkoski; UCR, Brian Steinmeyer. 3B - UW, Brent Lillibridge. HR - UCR, Salotti (4). T - 2:57. A - 289. Records: UW 7-1, UCR 6-10.
