UW Opens 2016 With 7-2 Win Over Baylor

Friday, February 19

Waco, TX

4:30 PM

University of Washington

1-0

Baylor

0-1

Washington

Baylor

Photo by: Washington Athletics

February 20, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

WACO, TEXAS – The Huskies mixed a little of the new with the old in picking up a 7-2 win over Baylor in the opening game of the season Friday night at Baylor Ballpark in Waco, Texas.

Winning pitcher Noah Bremer (1-0), a freshman All-American last season, threw six solid innings, before giving way to the Huskies' veteran bullpen. He allowed two runs – only one earned – on five hits and struck out six Baylor batters.

The Huskies pounded out 13 hits – seven coming from newcomers, including two each by Alex Galgano, John Naff and MJ Hubbs. Junior returners Josh Cushing and Jack Meggs also each had two hits.

All seven runs scored by the Huskies came with two outs.

"Whenever you can win the first one, especially on the road against a Big 12 team you have to feel good about that," said Husky Coach Lindsay Meggs.

Baylor wasted little time getting its offense started, jumping on Bremer for the early first inning lead. After lead-off hitter Levi Gilcrease doubled off the left-field wall on the first pitch, No. 2 hitter Kameron Esthay took Bremer's third pitch of the game off the center field wall, scoring Gilcrease easily from second.

The Huskies got their offense rolling in the fourth, striking three times off Baylor starter Daniel Castano (0-1). Cushing drove in the first Husky run of the season with a two-out flare that dropped just beyond the reach of second baseman Steven McLean to score Meggs from third. Hubbs followed with a towering two-run home run to left field that broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Huskies a lead that they would never relinquish.

Washington padded its lead in the fifth with a pair of two-out RBI hits and a bases loaded walk. Joey Morgan led off with a double to center and scored two-outs later after Meggs ripped a double past the first baseman Esthay. Galgano followed with a bloop single to center field that scored Meggs. Hubbs picked up his third RBI of the game drawing a four-pitch walk off reliever Kody Hessemer, giving the Huskies a 6-1 cushion.

In the sixth inning, Galgano drove in his second run of the game with a RBI single to make it 7-1.

The Bears scored an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth, but that was all the offense they could muster.

Alex Nesbitt and Spencer Jones pitched perfect innings in the seventh and eighth before things got a little dicey in the ninth for Troy Rallings. The Bears loaded the bases off the Huskies' closer, before the senior righty induced a game-ending 4-3 double-play grounder from Justin Arrington.

Game two of the three-game series is Saturday with first pitch coming at 1:00 p.m. PT. Highly-touted freshman Joe DeMers will be making his Husky debut.

Washington 7, Baylor 2

UW 000 331 000 –- 7 13 3
BU 100 001 000 –- 2 7 0

LOB: UW 10, BU . No6ah Bremer, Alex Nesbitt (7), Spencer Jones (8), Troy Rallings (9) and Joey Morgan; Daniel Castano, Kody Hessemer (5), Theron Kay (7), Drew Robertson (9) and Matt Menard. W – Bremer (1-0). L – Hessemer (0-1). Sv – none. HR – UW, MJ Hubbs (1). 3B – none. 2B – UW, Joey Morgan, Jack Meggs; BU, Levi Gilcrease, Kameron Esthay. Time – 2:55. Attendance – 2,836.