University of Washington
Puget Sound
Huskies Rally To Edge UPS, 5-4
March 22, 2006 | Baseball
March 22, 2006
SEATTLE - The Washington baseball team needed an three-run rally in the eighth inning to avoid an upset as the Huskies came back from a 4-0 deficit to beat Puget Sound, 5-4, Wednesday night at Husky Ballpark.
The Huskies (17-7) hadn't lost to the Loggers (6-13) since 1990 and have now won 16 in a row over Division III UPS.
Down 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the UW finally broke through off of UPS reliever Ryan Gustafson as designated hitter Matt Lane hit a one-out solo homer, his sixth of the season. After a second out, Zach Clem doubled and Gustafson was replaced on the mound by Devon Zeller. Stevens followed with a single up the middle, plating Clem to tie the game at 4-4.
With Stevens at first, Dunn popped a ball to shallow left, but shortstop Shawn Kiriu dropped the ball, allowing Stevens to score the go-ahead run all the way from first base.
UW freshman Bryce Mooney (2-0) struck out six in three perfect innings of relief to pick up the victory. Closer Elliott Cribby pitched the ninth for his Pac-10-leading eighth save. Zeller (1-3) suffered the loss, giving up the one unearned run in two-thirds of an inning.
Neither team managed to score a run until the Loggers shocked the Huskies in the fifth. After UPS loaded the bases on a walk and a pair of singles, left fielder Chris Dunbar lined a two-out, 3-1 pitch over the wall in right for a grand slam, giving the Loggers a 4-0 lead.
The Huskies, who'd managed only one hit through the first four innings, got going in the bottom of the fifth. After a single from Clem and a double from Stevens opened the inning, Dunn singled to drive in the Huskies' first run. Brett Kaluza followed with a fielder's choice groundout to drive in Stevens and cut the Loggers lead to 4-2.
However, in the sixth and seventh, the Huskies had rallies stymied by UPS reliever Gustafson. In the sixth, Gustafson took over with runners at first and third with one out and used two strikeouts to end the threat. In the seventh, Huskies reached on a hit and an error, but Gustafson got off the hook with a double play.
Thursday, the Huskies travel to Berkeley to face Cal in the first Pac-10 Conference series of the year Friday through Sunday. All three games from Cal will air live on radio on KKNW AM-1150.
LINESCORE Non-Conference Game Washington 5, Puget Sound 4 Puget Sound 000 040 000 -- 4 9 3 Washington 000 020 03x -- 5 10 0 Taylor Thompson, Chris Owens (4), Brian Bennett (5), Evan Scandling (5), Ryan Gustafson (6), Devon Zeller (8) and A.J. Jorg. Adrian Gomez, Bryce Mooney (6), Elliott Cribby (9) and Joey Dunn. W - Mooney (2-0). L - Zeler (1-3). Sv - Cribby (8). 2B - UPS, Shaun Messerli; UW, Matt Stevens, Matt Lane, Zach Clem. HR - UPS, Chris Dunbar (2); UW, Lane (6). T - 2:39. A - 203.
