University of Washington
Arizona State
Batkoski, Lillibridge Homer In 9th To Beat ASU, 5-3
May 21, 2005 | Baseball
May 21, 2005
SEATTLE - Nick Batkoski hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning to tie the game and Brent Lillibridge belted a two-run shot later in the inning to win it as the Washington baseball team overcame a 3-0 deficit in the final inning to beat No. 17 Arizona State, 5-3, Saturday at Husky Ballpark.
Batkoski, who homered in the ninth last Sunday to forge a 1-1 tie against Oregon State, belted his fifth homer of the year off the top of the center field fence with two on and no outs in the ninth, knotting the score at 3-3. After two outs and a walk, ASU reliever Brett Bordes entered the game to face Lillibridge, who blasted his eighth of the year to left-center field to give Washington (30-21 overall, 9-11 in the Pac-10) the win.
Arizona State (30-22 overall, 11-9 Pac-10) got six and one-third shutout innings from starter Jason Urquidez. He allowed three hits and walked four while striking out three. Zechry Zinicola (3-3), who started the game at first base and went 2-for-4 at the plate, retired the first five batters he faced before allowing the first three Huskies in the ninth to reach base.
UW senior starter David Dowling allowed three runs on seven hits in his seven innings of work, walking four and striking out five. Brandon McKerney threw two no-hit innings of relief to pick up the win, improving to 4-0 on the season.
Arizona State scored the game's first run in the third inning. J.J. Sferra reached on a one-out bunt single. After a sacrifice moved him up, third baseman Travis Buck singled to drive in Sferra.
In the seventh, with two aboard and one out, Buck grounded out to drive home Andrew Romine. Sferra, who had reached on another bunt single, scored on a single from Colin Curtis.
Buck, a Richland, Wash., product, finished the game2-for-4 with two RBI to lead ASU. Curtis, from Issaquah, was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
In the Huskies' ninth, Matt Hague and Kyle Larsen singled off of Zinicola to set the table for Batkoski's homer. After two outs, Zinicola walked Taylor Johnson before being replaced on the mound by Bordes.
The series concludes with 1:00 p.m. game Sunday. Live audio and stats will be available at gohuskies.com.
LINESCORE Pac-10 Conference Washington 5, #17 Arizona State 3 Arizona St. 001 000 200 -- 3 7 1 Washington 000 000 005 -- 5 7 0 Jason Urquidez, Zechry Zinicola (7), Brett Bordes (9) and Tuffy Gosewisch. David Dowling, Brandon McKerney (8) and Joey Dunn. W - McKerney (4-0). L - Zinicola (3-3). HR - UW, Nick Batkoski (5), Brent Lillibridge (8). T - 3:01. A - 671.
