Huskies Gut Out 8-7 Win Over LMU In 10 Innings

Monday, April 10

Los Angeles, Calif.

6:00 PM

University of Washington

19-12

Loyola Marymount

21-12

Washington

Loyola Marymount

April 10, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score Box: UW 8, LMU 7 - 10 innings

By: Brian Tom

LOS ANGELES – Jack Meggs drove in the go-ahead run in the 10^th inning and freshman Harrison Goonewardene recorded the final two out to pick up his first career save as Washington beat Loyola Marymount, 8-7, in extra innings at Page Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday night.

A day after Washington (19-12) lost to UCLA after jumping out to a 5-0 lead, the Huskies took a 4-0 lead against LMU, but needed extra innings to beat the Lions (21-12) and escape their Southern California trip with a 3-1 record.

The Huskies loaded the bases in the 10^th inning on three-straight walks by losing pitcher Niko Decolati (0-2). Meggs grounded into a fielder's choice, allowing Kyle London to score from third and give the Huskies the lead.

The Huskies needed to use three pitchers in the home half of the 10^th, but they were able to secure their third extra-innings win in three tries.

Leo Nierenberg issued a one-out walk and was lifted in favor of freshman Tommy Costello. After Costello walked Phil Caulfield, who represented the winning run, Husky Pitching Coach Jason Kelly handed the ball to Goonewardene.

Goonwardene, from Mercer Island, Wash. was making just his second career collegiate appearance, but he came through like a veteran. He got a deep fly out from Cooper Uhl before inducing Billy Wilson to ground out to second base to end the game.

Nierenberg (1-1) was outstanding over three innings of long relief to pick up his first collegiate win. The freshman right-hander allowed just one hit, walked three and struck out a career high six batters.

The game lasted 4-hours and 29-minutes so it seemed like an eternity ago when the Huskies batted around in the first inning and staked their freshman starter Chris Micheles to a 4-0 lead before he even climbed on top the mound. AJ Graffanino reached on a throwing error by the catcher Nathan Keavy to start the game and No. 2 hitter Meggs made LMU starter Giussepe Benedetti pay for the mistake by driving a run-scoring double into the right-center gap.

MJ Hubbs sent Meggs home drilling a double into the left-field corner. The hit gave the Huskies a 2-0 lead before an out was recorded and extended Hubbs' streak of reaching base safely to 24-straight games.

After two outs were recorded, the Huskies pushed two more runs across the plate. Freshman catcher Nick Kahle drove home Hubbs on a single and junior Levi Jordan doubled home John Naff, who walked earlier in the inning with two outs.

The Lions cut the Huskies' lead in half with two runs in the third, but they ran themselves out of the inning. Wilson and Spencer Erdman hit consecutive doubles to get on the scoreboard and with two outs, Steven Chavez singled home Erdman to make the score 4-2. Jamey Smart followed with a double, but the inning ended when Chavez ran through a stop sign by the third base coach and was thrown out at home.

LMU continued its offensive prowess in the fourth inning putting up a four-spot to take a 6-4 lead. Huskies' reliever Alex Hardy loaded the bases full of Lions with one out and walked Wilson to force in a run and then gave up a first-pitch, bases-clearing triple to Erdman.

The Lions' lead was short-lived as UW struck back in the top of the fifth to tie things up, 6-6. Hubbs crushed a 2-1 pitch from new LMU pitcher Braydon Salzman well beyond the center field wall for his team-leading fifth home run of the season. Meggs, who walked in front of Hubbs, also scored on the play.

Washington re-took the lead in the seventh on a clutch, two-out RBI single from Naff. Hubbs walked, stole second and went to third on a balk before Naff knocked him home for a 7-6 lead.

But, the lead was once again gone in the blink of an eye as Erdman led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, was sacrificed to second and scored on a passed ball to even the score, 7-7.

The game remained tied until the Huskies were able to break through in the 10^th inning.

UW had eight hits on the night with a trio each collecting two. Hubbs was 2-for-5 with 3 RBI and scored three times, Meggs was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and runs and Jordan was 2-for-5 with a RBI.

Washington returns home and will host No. 1 ranked Oregon State in a three-game series. Game one is Wednesday at 6 p.m. All three games will be televised by the Pac-12 Network.