University of Washington
UC Irvine
UW Scores Four In Ninth To Beat UCI, 8-7
May 30, 2004 | Baseball
May 30, 2004
SEATTLE - A one-out, two-run single from junior first baseman Kyle Larsen capped a four-run ninth inning as the 13th-ranked Washington baseball team came back to beat UC Irvine, 8-7, Sunday at Husky Ballpark on the final day of the regular season.
Washington finished the regular season with an overall record of 37-18-1. The Huskies finished alone in second place in the Pac-10 standings at 15-9. Irvine completed the year 34-21-1 after having been swept by the UW in the three-game series.
In the bottom of the ninth, down 7-4, the UW loaded the bases on a hit batter, a single and a walk. UCI freshman closer Blair Erickson, the NCAA saves leader with 17 on the year, got Brent Lillibridge to pop up for the first out, but senior second baseman Greg Isaacson followed with a single. One run came in on the hit and another scored on an errant throw from the outfield.
After Zach Clem was walked intentionally to load the bases, Larsen hammered a line-drive single the opposite way over the third baseman to drive in Ben Johnson and Isaacson with the tying and winning runs.
Junior reliever Josh Conover, who threw five innings of relief, got the win. Conover held the Anteaters hitless through his first four innings before allowing a run on three hits in the top of the ninth. Erickson (1-3) suffered the loss after coming on to begin the ninth.
After Irvine took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run from left fielder Jordan Szabo in the top of the first, the UW knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single from Larsen.
In the second, the Huskies went on top, 2-1, when freshman designated hitter Matt Lane belted his sixth home run of the year to lead off the inning.
The Anteaters scored four in the third to go back on top. After a walk and a single, a Szabo single drove home Matt Fisher to tie it. Cody Cipriano followed with an RBI single to plate Matt Anderson. With runners at first and third, Cipriano stole second. UW catcher Aaron Hathaway opted to throw to third to try and get Szabo too far off the bag. But the throw was errant, allowing Szabo to score. A single from Tim Stewart then sent home Cipriano to give UCI a 5-2 lead.
Irvine tacked on another in the fourth. Gary Dudrey reached on a third-strike wild pitch, stole second and then beat a throw to the plate after Anderson's single to right, increasing the Anteaters' lead to 6-2.
Washington cut the lead to 6-3 in the fifth when Lillibridge singled and eventually came around on a passed ball. In the seventh, Lillibridge walked and scored from first on an errant pickoff throw from reliever David Huff, narrowing the margin to two runs.
Szabo notched an RBI single in the ninth to add an insurance run for UCI, putting the Anteaters in front, 7-4.
Larsen finished the game 3-for-5 with three runs batted in. Lane had a double and a homer in four at bats. Szabo and Anderson each went 3-for-5 to pace the Anteaters.
Monday, the UW team will gather at the Don James Center in Husky Stadium to watch the NCAA selection show, which airs at 9:00 a.m. PDT on ESPN2.
LINESCORE Non-Conference #13 Washington 8, UC Irvine 7 UC Irvine 104 100 001 -- 7 10 1 Washington 110 010 104 -- 8 9 1 Justin Cassel, David Huff (5), Blair Erickson (9) and Mark Wagner. Matt Kasser, Josh Conover (5) and Aaron Hathaway. W - Conover (1- 0). L - Erickson (1-3). 2B - UCI, Matt Anderson; UW, Kyle Larsen, Matt Lane. HR - UCI, Jordan Szabo (5); UW, Lane (6). T - 3:11. A - 694. Records: UCI 34-21-1, UW 37-18-1.
