University of Washington
Pacific
UW's Defense Tames Tigers In Season-Opening 5-2 Win
February 14, 2015 | Baseball
STOCKTON, Calif. – The Husky Baseball team utilized timely hitting and defense Friday night at Klein Field in Stockton, Calif. to win their 2015 season-opener 5-2 over Pacific.
The offense scored five times in the middle innings and the defense turned four inning-ending double plays to make a winner out of Washington starting pitcher Troy Rallings (1-0).
The Huskies (1-0) pushed its first run of the season across the plate on Alex Schmidt's one-out home run to right field in the fourth. It was the sixth home run of the senior third baseman's career.
The Huskies made it 2-0 in the fifth without the benefit of a hit off Pacific starter Will Lydon (0-1). Braden Bishop walked with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He advanced to third on a ground out by Jack Meggs and scored with two outs on another wild pitch by Lydon.
UW added three more runs in the sixth inning, all with two outs. Will Sparks started things with a double to left and Chris Baker was intentionally walked. The strategy did not pay off for relief pitcher Mike Hager as he hit number nine batter Levi Jordan with a pitch to load the bases. Bishop followed with a two-run double to centerfield that advanced Jordan to third. Jordan came around to score on a passed ball to give UW the insurmountable 5-0 advantage.
Pacific clawed back in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs to finally get to Rallings, but the junior right-hander was able to escape further damage when the UW defense turned its third inning-ending double play behind him.
Brett Sullivan reached on a fielding error by Rallings to start the inning and YP Yakel followed with a double. JJ Wagner drove in the first run of the season for Pacific on a flare to centerfield and Nate Verlin followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2. Rallings induced Danny Mayer to roll into an around the horn 5-4-3 double play to end the threat.
The fifth inning was not the first time Rallings was in a jam. The Tigers had a runner reach third base in the second, third and fourth innings, but came up empty each time.
Rallings was able to throw a career-high six innings in just the third start of his career. He allowed two runs – just one earned – on eight hits.
Junior lefty Will Ballowe tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth, and senior right-hander Brandon Choate slammed the door shut in the ninth to collect his first career save.
Pacific outhit Washington 10-7, led by a 3 for 3 evening from Wagner. Austin Rei went 2 for 4 at the plate, the only Husky to record more than one hit.
The Huskies return to action Saturday at 2:00 p.m. for the second game of the four-game series. All-American Tyler Davis will take the hill for the Huskies.
Washington 5, Pacific 2
WASH 000 113 000 –- 5 7 1
PAC 000 002 000 –- 2 10 2
LOB: UW 9, UP 8. Troy Rallings, Will Ballowe (7), Brandon Choate (9) and Austin Rei. Will Lydon, Mike Hager (5) and JP Yakel. W – Rallings (1-0). L – Lydon (0-1). Sv – Choate (1). HR – UW, Alex Schmidt (1). 3B – UW, Austin Rei. 2B – UW, Braden Bishop, Will Sparks; UP, JP Yakel. Time – 2:57. Attendance – 725.
