University of Washington
New Mexico State
Clem's Homer Lifts UW To 5-4 Win
February 12, 2006 | Baseball
Feb. 12, 2006
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Senior Zach Clem's solo homer in the seventh broke a 4-4 tie as the Washington baseball team edged New Mexico State, 5-4, in the third game of the Huskies' season-opening series.
The Huskies improved to 2-1 with the victory while NMSU fell to 3-4.
Clem, the Huskies left fielder from Burlington, Wash., belted his third homer of the weekend on a 1-2 pitch from reliever Brian Gausman, launching a high blast over the left field fence. Friday, Clem hit two homers and drove in seven runs. For the weekend, he was 5-for-12 with a double, three homers and nine RBI.
Husky freshman reliever Bryce Mooney (1-0) earned the victory, working out of a jam in the sixth and going on to pitch an inning and two-thirds, striking out four.
Sophomore reliever Elliott Cribby worked the final two innings for the save, recording the final three outs in the ninth after shortstop Abe Aguirre reached on a two-base error to open the inning.
UW freshman starter Tyler Cheney allowed only one run on three hits over five innings and left the game with a 4-1 lead, but didn't figure in the decision.
Washington took advantage of two first-inning errors from Aggies third baseman Joseph Godinez to take a 1-0 lead. After Michael Burgher and Ryan Anderson each reached on throwing errors, Matt Hague drove in Burgher from third with a long flyout to center, giving the UW an early 1-0 lead.
In the third, with Anderson aboard at second, Hague singled to drive in a second Husky run. Senior Zach Clem followed with a double to put runners at second and third. A sacrifice fly from freshman DH Kyle Conley and a single from Curt Rindal drove in two more to increase the lead to 4-0.
The Aggies posted their first run in the fifth on an RBI single. In the sixth, with Matt Kasser on in relief of Cheney, NMSU rallied to tie the score at 4-4. Murray Gilbertson drove in one with a double and second baseman Jason Long tied the game with a two-run double.
Mooney, however, came in with runners at second and third with one out and struck out two to end the threat.
Next up for the Huskies is a four-game series at Cal State Northridge next Friday through Monday. A live audio broadcast of each game will be available on the Dawg Channel at gohuskies.com.
LINESCORE Non-Conference Washington 5, New Mexico State 4 Washington 103 000 100 -- 5 10 0 New Mexico St. 000 013 000 -- 4 8 3 Tyler Cheney, Matt Kasser (6), Bryce Mooney (6), Elliott Cribby (8) and Joey Dunn. Frankie Duran, Brian Gausman (5), Dillon Smith (8) and Brandon Lance. W - Mooney (1-0). L - Gausman (1-1). Sv - Cribby (1). 2B - UW, Dunn, Zach Clem; NMSU, Murray Gilbertson, Jason Long. HR - UW, Clem (3). T - 2:51. A - 207.
