Jan. 29, 2000

Box Score

LEWISTON, Idaho -- The Washington State Cougar baseball team allowed only one run and three hits over the final eight innings, but a nine-run outburst in the first frame by the Lewis-Clark State Warriors proved to be the deciding factor in LCSC's 10-1 victory Saturday afternoon at Harris Field. The game was the first of the 2000 season for both schools.

The defending NAIA National Champion Warriors (1-0) forged to an early 9-0 lead sending 12 batters to the plate in the first inning. Right fielder Ray Vodegel got the rally started with a two-run double, then after a Trevor Brown walk and singles by Elliott Strankman and Chris Tavares, second baseman Kurt Koshelnik cleared the bases with a grand slam home run over the right field fence.

LCSC starter Anthony Ferrari pitched well allowing four hits in three innings and reliever Michael Natale (1-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen scattering one hit over four innings while striking out five. Relievers Wes Hutchison and Nick Padilla combined to throw two perfect innings in relief to secure the win.

WSU (0-1) starter Reggie Rivard was credited with the loss, allowing six earned runs and four hits in the first inning. The hard throwing right hander did not record an out in his first outing of 2000. A host of Cougar relief pitchers did well out of the bullpen. Senior Les McTavish (Slave Lake, Alberta) allowed only two hits in 3.1 innings.

"It was nice to get out there and pitch well, but there is an uneasy feeling after this loss," said McTavish. "We need to be better fundamentally as a team. This is only the first game of the season, but we should have been better prepared than this."

Freshman Nick Kenyon threw a perfect inning in his first outing as a Cougar, and sophomore Sean Donlin added a steady performance late in the game. Senior Todd Meldahl threw a perfect eighth inning to finish off a streak in which the Cougar bullpen no-hit LCSC over the final four innings.

At the plate for LCSC Koshelnik finished the day 3-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored. Strankman also tallied three hits and Vodegel knocked in two runs.

The Cougars only scoring of the afternoon came off of back-to-back doubles in the third inning by seniors Ray Hattenburg and Jordan Nilsen n the third inning. Newcomer Justin Williams was 1-for-2 in his Cougar debut and reached base in three of his four at-bats. First baseman Stefan Bailie and Wes Falkenborg recorded base hits in their first collegiate at-bats. The Cougars were without preseason All-American outfielder Jason Grove who is resting an sore right wrist.

"They (LCSC) had a big first inning and that is sometimes the determining factor in a baseball game," said WSU head coach Steve Farrington. "We pitched well after that first inning, but we were anxious at the plate and we need to work on that. We had some opening day jitters we need to work out, but we shoud be in good shape for our games next week."

The Cougars will play a developmental game Sunday against Gonzaga in Lewiston, then prepare for the Spalding Fiesta Tournament in Albuquerque, NM, where they will take on nationally ranked Texas A&M in a pair of games and a single contest against Kansas State.