University of Washington
USC
Diamond Dawgs Rout USC, 13-4
May 15, 2004 | Baseball
May 15, 2004
LOS ANGELES - Left fielder Zach Clem went 3-for-4 with a homer and four runs batted in and sophomore Matt Kasser allowed two earned runs over seven and two-thirds innings as the 13th- ranked Washington baseball team beat USC, 13-4, Saturday at Dedeaux Field in the second game of a three-game Pac-10 series.
The win moved the Huskies, at least temporarily, into first place in the Pac-10 at 32-15-1 overall and 14-6 in the conference. Stanford, at 38-8 and 11-4 in the league, begins a three-game series Saturday night at Arizona. USC fell to 21-27 overall and 7-10 in the Pac-10.
Kasser, a right-hander from Issaquah, improved to 3-0 with the win. He held the Trojans scoreless through the first five innings and finished having allowed four runs (two earned) on eight hits, six walks and two strikeouts in the longest outing of his career.
Aside from Clem's 3-for-4 day, the UW also got four hits in six at bats from center fielder Brent Lillibridge and two hits each from Nick Batkoski, John Otness, Matt Lane and Aaron Hathaway. The Huskies posted 19 hits in the game while USC managed eight.
Washington got the first lead of the game in the second. With Otness aboard on a one-out single, freshman designated hitter Lane blasted a long home run to right field, his fourth of the season, to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead.
In the fourth, the Huskies loaded the bases with one out on two walks and a single. Taylor Johnson's sacrifice fly brought home Otness and Lillibridge singled up the middle to drive in Lane, increasing the Washington edge to 4-0.
Washington tacked on three more in the fifth. After back-to-back singles from Clem and Kyle Larsen began the inning, Batkoski lined a single to center to send home Clem and chase USC starter Bret Butler from the game. After a long flyout off of reliever Matt Cassel put runners at first and third, Lane dumped a bloop double down the left-field line to drive home Larsen and leave runners at second and third.
Hathaway followed the double by grounding sharply to first. After the out was made at first, Lane was caught off of second as Batkoski had not tried to score. Lane got in a rundown and Batkoski broke for the plate. The rundown sent Batkoski back to third and Lane got in another rundown, allowing Batkoski to break a second time. This time, the throw home from second baseman Blake Sharpe was launched over the man covering the plate, allowing Batkoski to score to make it 7-0, Huskies.
Washington added two more in the sixth as Lillibridge singled and scored on a Clem double. Clem eventually came in on a Larsen groundout to increase the lead to 9-0.
USC was held scoreless for 14 straight innings since scoring six in the first inning of Friday's game. The Trojans finally plated a run in the sixth inning. Jon Brewster tripled to lead off and scored on a sacrifice fly from Sharpe.
Washington tacked on three more in the seventh on a three-run homer from Clem, his second of the weekend and 12th of the year. USC scored its second run in the seventh when Hector Estrella double, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch. The Trojans got two more in the eighth when Daniel Perales' single drove in one and an error allowed a second to come across.
Washington scored its 13th run in the top of the ninth when reserve right fielder Matt Tucker, who also turned in a spectacular sliding catch in foul ground in the eighth, hit his second homer of the year, a solo shot to right-center. Tucker also threw out a runner trying to score on a fly ball to end the game in the ninth.
Butler, a junior from Woodinville, suffered the loss to fall to 4-3 on the season. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits in four-plus innings.
The series concludes Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. game, which will air live in Seattle on KKNW AM- 1150.
LINESCORE Pac-10 Conference #13 Washington 13, USC 4 Washington 020 232 301 -- 13 19 3 USC 000 001 120 -- 4 9 1 Matt Kasser, Richie Lentz (8) and Aaron Hathaway, Ben Johnson (6). Bret Butler, Matt Cassel (5), Scott Scharlach (7), Cole Ganser (8) and Jeff Clement. W - Kasser (3-0). L - Butler (4-3). 2B - UW, Matt Lane, Zach Clem, John Otness, Brent Lillibridge; USC, Jon Brewster, Daniel Perales, Hector Estella, Clement. 3B - USC, Brewster. HR - UW, Lane (4), Clem (12), Matt Tucker (2). T - 2:56. A - 267. Records: UW 32-15-1, 14-6 Pac-10; USC 21-27, 7-10 Pac-10.
