University of Washington
Washington State
Homer Beats Huskies, 11-10, At WSU
March 21, 2004 | Baseball
March 21, 2004
PULLMAN, Wash. - Sophomore left fielder Zach Kosturos hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Washington State baseball team to an 11-10 win over Washington Sunday at Bailey-Brayton Field. The Cougars won the three-game, non-conference series, two games to one.
The Huskies (11-6-1) had fought back from a 6-1 deficit to take a 9-8 lead on an eighth-inning grand slam by second baseman Greg Isaacson. A solo homer from John Otness in the ninth had increased the UW lead to 10-8.
The Cougars (14-6), however, got a leadoff homer from Jay Miller, his second of the day, to start the ninth inning. After a flyout, a single from Zach McAngus and a groundout, Kosturos, a transfer from Edmonds CC, belted a pitch from UW closer Will Fenton over the fence in center field for his first home run as a Cougar.
The Huskies who were beaten by an eighth-inning grand slam by WSU's Zach McAngus in an 11- 5 loss in the series opener on Friday entered the eighth inning behind 8-5 before Isaacson took advantage of the wind to sneak his third homer of the year just inside the right-field foul pole.
WSU reliever Wayne Daman, Jr. (2-1), who faced only one batter in the top of the ninth, got the win while Fenton, who gave up both of the Cougars' ninth-inning homers, suffered the loss to fall to 2-2 on the year.
WSU built a 6-1 lead over the first five innings. In the first, Kaeo Rubin doubled and scored on a single from Miller. In the second, an error by UW freshman third baseman Tyler Mach opened the door for three unearned runs. With two aboard and two out, Justin McClure tripled to send home two runs and then scored on a second double from Rubin.
Miller made it 5-1 when he led off the third inning with his first home run of the year. He then tacked on another when he drove in Rubin with a single in the fifth.
Washington's lone run during that span came on an RBI single from senior Ben Johnson in the second.
The Huskies, however, took advantage of two Cougar errors to score four runs in the sixth. Chamberlin loaded the bases on a walk, an error by shortstop McClure and a single. Mach's single drove in one and chased WSU starter Bryce Chamberlin from the game with no outs and the bases loaded. Reliever Dane Renkert then hit Matt Tucker with a pitch to force in another run.
Johnson followed with a grounder to first baseman Grant Richardson, who elected to throw to second to try and begin a double play. His throw, however, hit Tucker and bounced into right field, allowing two Huskies to cross, cutting the Cougar lead to 6-5. Renkert got a strikeout and a double play to end the threat and keep the WSU lead in tact.
The Cougars added to that lead in the sixth when catcher Brandon Reddinger, who finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs, got a ball up into the wind for a two-out, two-run homer to right field, increasing WSU's edge to 8-5.
Isaacson finished the day 2-for-5 with a double and a homer. Mach also had two hits. Miller finished the day 4-for-5 with two homers.
The Huskies remain on the east side of the state for 2:00 p.m. games Monday and Tuesday at Gonzaga. The UW opens Pac-10 play next Friday at Arizona State.
LINESCORE Non-Conference Game Washington State 11, Washington 10 Washington 010 004 041 -- 10 8 1 Washington St. 131 012 003 -- 11 13 2 Richie Lentz, Kyle Parker (5), Matt Kasser (7), Trent Baysinger (8), Will Fenton (8) and Aaron Hathaway. Bryce Chamberlin, Dane Renkert (6), Brandon Hundt (8), Garrett Alwert (8), Wayne Daman Jr. (9) and Brandon Reddinger, Zach Franklin (9). W - Daman (2-1). L - Fenton (2-2). 2B - UW, Greg Isaacson; WSU, Kaeo Rubin 2. 3B - WSU, Justin McClure. HR - UW, Isaacson (3), John Otness (5); WSU, Jay Miller 2 (2), Reddinger (1), Zach Kosturos (1). T - 3:39. A - 531. Records: UW 11-6-1, WSU 14-6.
