University of Washington
UCLA
Huskies Beat UCLA, 6-5, In Controversial Fashion
May 28, 2005 | Baseball
May 28, 2005
LOS ANGELES - The Washington baseball team pulled out a 6-5 win over UCLA Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium, thanks to a reversed call by the umpiring crew that allowed the go-ahead run to score in the ninth.
In the ninth inning, with the score tied at 5-5, Mike Rundle at third and two outs, Matt Hague bounced a ball down the third-base line. Third baseman Brett McMillan's long throw to first evidently drew first baseman Matt Sharp's foot off the bag. However, first base umpire Terry Mann called Hague out, seemingly ending the inning.
But, after Husky coach Ken Knutson argued the call, Mann's call was reversed by home plate umpire Kevin Daugherty, meaning that Hague was safe and that Rundle had scored the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Bruins (15-40 overall, 4-19 in the Pac-10) had runners at the corners with two outs before Matt Kasser came on to strike out Chris Denove to end the game.
Reliever Josh Conover (1-2) picked up the win while Kasser earned his first save of the year. Starter David Dowling worked seven-plus innings, allowing four runs on 10 hits, but didn't figure in the decision.
The win kept the Huskies' chances of finishing .500 in conference play alive as they improved their record to 32-22 overall and 11-12 in the Pac-10 with only one game left in the season. If the UW wins Sunday, they'd still have a shot at making the NCAA tournament field, which will be announced Monday on ESPN at 8:30 a.m.
UCLA, which was shut out 6-0 on two hits Friday night, took the early lead Saturday. With two down in the first, Chris Jensen singled and scored on a triple from Denove, staking the Bruins to a 1-0 lead.
In the third, the Huskies' loaded the bases with one out on three singles. A sacrifice fly from Brent Lillibridge scored Kyle Larsen from third to tie the game at 1-1.
In the fourth, the UW took its first lead when sophomore designated hitter Curt Rindal belted a two-out solo homer, his seventh of the season, to put the visitors on top, 2-1. In the fifth, a sacrifice fly from Hague increased the Husky edge to 3-1.
UCLA drew back to within a run in the sixth. After Jensen doubled and moved to third on a bunt, Brett McMillan drove him in with a groundout, cutting the UW lead to 3-2.
Hague added to the Husky lead in the seventh, belting a two-run double to the right- center gap.
Hague, a freshman from Kentwood High, finished the game 2-for-4 with four runs batted in. Rundle and Joey Dunn each added two hits for the UW.
Jensen and Eric Taylor each contributed three hits for the Bruins.
Sunday's regular-season finale gets underway at 1:00 p.m. Live stats and audio for the game will be available at gohuskies.com.
LINESCORE Pac-10 Conference Washington 6, UCLA 5 Washington 001 110 201 -- 6 10 0 UCLA 100 001 030 -- 5 14 1 David Dowling, Brandon McKerney (8), Josh Conover (8), Matt Kasser (9) and Joey Dunn. Brian Schroeder, Brant Rustich (7) and Chris Denove. W - Conover (1-2). L - Rustich (2-7). Sv - Kasser (1). 2B - UW, Matt Hague; UCLA, Chris Jensen, Mike Metzger, Hector Ambriz. 3B - UCLA, Denove. HR - UW, Curt Rindal (7). T - 3:07. A - 354.
