University of Washington
Pacific
Lillibridge, Huskies Slam Pacific, 15-2
March 09, 2005 | Baseball
March 9, 2005
SEATTLE - A grand slam from junior Brent Lillibridge highlighted a nine-run fifth inning and sophomore Tim Lincecum struck out 14 as the Washington baseball team ran its win streak to six games with a 15-2 win over Pacific Wednesday night at Husky Ballpark.
Lillibridge, the Husky shortstop from Jackson High in Mill Creek, scored twice in the Huskies' fifth inning and the grand slam, his third home run of the season, extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Lincecum (3-2) earned the win, allowing two runs on four hits over seven innings. He walked four and struck out a season-high 14 batters, one short of his career high.
While the Huskies (10-7) had good chances to score in the early going, it was Pacific that broke through first. Washington had runners at second and third with out out in the first and loaded the bases with two down in the second, but couldn't score.
In the meantime, Lincecum struck out 10 Pacific hitters over the first three innings (thanks to a wild pitch on a third strike), but Tigers first baseman Justin Baum led off the third with his third home run of the season to give the visitors a 1-0 edge. Pacific went on to load the bases in the inning on the third- strike wild pitch, a walk and a hit batter, but Lincecum fanned Brandon Gottier for his fourth strikeout of the inning.
The Huskies finally got on the board, breaking out with nine runs in the fifth. With Taylor Johnson and Lillibridge both aboard on walks, Zach Clem bounced a double just inside the third-base bag to send home both runners, giving the UW a 2-1 lead. After an out, third baseman Nick Batkoski matched Clem's double, also lacing a ball down the left-field line, scoring Clem with the third run.
After a pair of runs scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk, Lillibridge pulled his third home run of the season just inside the left-field foul pole to cap the nine-run fifth.
Baum led off the seventh as he did the third, lacing a home run the opposite way to right field to account for the Tigers' second run. Washington scored two more in the seventh when pinch hitters Nick Jiles and Michael Burgher drove in runs with a single and a sacrifice fly, respectively.
In the eighth, three Huskies hit the first home run of their career. Curt Rindal and D.J. Neyens led off the inning with back-to-back shots before the UW got a two-run blast from freshman Kiel Lillibridge, Brent's younger brother.
Starter Brett Manning (0-1) took the loss for the Tigers (10-8). The freshman lefty, making his second start, held the Huskies scoreless through the first four, but was saddled with four runs in the fifth. UW relievers Keaton Everitt and Brandon McKerney each struck out two in one inning of work apiece, giving the Husky pitching staff a total of 18 on the night.
The UW closes out its seven-game homestand Wednesday with a 3:00 p.m. game against Pacific. After that, the Huskies take more than a week off for finals before returning to action with a three-game series at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo March 18-20.
LINESCORE Non-Conference Washington 15, Pacific 2 Pacific 001 000 100 -- 2 5 1 Washington 000 090 24X -- 15 14 0 Brett Manning, Brad Schultz (5), Alex Graham (5), John Joines (7) and Brandon Gottier, Ryan Amos (8). Tim Lincecum, Keaton Everitt (8), Brandon McKerney (9) and Joey Dunn, Matt Lane (6), D.J. Neyens (8). W - Lincecum (3-2). L - Manning (0-1). 2B - UW, Zach Clem 2, Nick Batkoski. HR - Pacific, Justin Baum 2 (4); UW, Brent Lillibridge (3), Curt Rindal (1), Neyens (1), Kiel Lillibridge (1). T - 2:51. A - 338.
