University of Washington
UC Riverside
Riverside Avoids Sweep With 14-1 Win Over UW
April 10, 2005 | Baseball
April 10, 2005
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside avoided a series sweep Sunday, coming back from two one-sided losses to hand the Washington baseball team a 14-1 loss in the final game of a three-game, non-conference series at Riverside Sports Complex.
Washington (21-13) had beaten the Highlanders 9-0 on Friday and 19-3 on Saturday. The Huskies have still won 17 of their last 23. UCR improved to 14-17 on the season.
UCR starter Taylor Bills (3-5) held the UW to only one unearned run on one hit in his five innings to get the win. Husky junior Matt Kasser (3-3) suffered the loss, giving up four runs on five hits over three and one-third.
Riverside jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first. With Andrew Garcia and Nick Salotti aboard at second and third, Matt Cunningham bounced an 0-2 pitch through the left side to drive in both runners.
The Highlanders made it 4-0 with two more in the fourth. Aaron Grant walked and Cunningham singled to get the inning started. After a bunt moved the runners up, Brian Steinmeyer singled to drive in one run. Catcher Jeff Abney followed with a safety squeeze bunt to score Cunningham.
In the meantime, the Huskies, who posted 20 hits Saturday, didn't get their first hit until Nick Batkoski led off the fifth with a single to left. Batkoski would go on to score the UW's first run on an error. The Huskies then had the bases loaded with two out for Kyle Larsen. Larsen's line drive headed over the second-base bag was snared by the shortstop Steinmeyer, who was playing up the middle in a defensive shift.
UCR broke the game wide open in the fifth, scoring six runs thanks to two walks, two wild pitches, four singles and two Husky errors. With the bases loaded an no outs, Cunningham grounded a ball to Larsen at first. Larsen tried to get the out at the plate, but his throw home sailed high, allowing two runs to score. When the inning finally ended after Riverside had sent 11 batters to the plate, the Highlanders led, 10-1.
Riverside added two more in the seventh, helped along by a second Larsen error. The Husky senior, named the nation's best defensive first baseman by Baseball America, had made only seven errors in more than 1,800 career chances entering the game. The Huskies' four errors were a season-high.
Batkoski had two of the Huskies' five hits in the game, finishing 2-for-3. Salotti, Steinmeyer, Cunningham and Anthony Claggett each had two hits to lead the Highlanders. Steinmeyer reached base five times with two singles and three walks.
The Huskies return to Seattle and to conference play next weekend when California visits Husky Ballpark for a three-game Pac-10 series. All three games -- 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday -- will air live on KKNW AM-1150.
LINESCORE Non-conference UC Riverside 14, Washington 1 Washington 000 010 000 -- 1 5 4 UC Riverside 200 260 22X -- 14 13 1 Matt Kasser, David Dowling (4), Keaton Everitt (5), Brandon McKerney (7) and Joey Dunn. Taylor Bills, Daniel Stange (6), Anthony Claggett (9) and Jeff Abney, Jeff Dunbar (9). W - Bills (3-5). L - Kasser (3-3). 2B - UCR, Nick Salotti. T - 2:49. A - 188.
