Feb. 21, 2000

Box Score

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Redshirt freshman Stefan Bailie capped a hot weekend at the plate with a 4-for-4 game for the Washington State baseball team, but it wasn't enough as the Texas-Arlington Mavericks escaped with a narrow come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the Cougars Monday afternoon in non-conference action at Allan Saxe Stadium.

WSU (4-7) starter Reggie Rivard (0-2) overcame early control problems to pitch well in his second start of 2000. Rivard allowed only three hits in his outing, but tired late and was saddled with the loss giving up three crucial runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Lanakila Niles pieced together 2.2 innings of shutout ball to hold the Cougs close.

UTA (9-5) starter Mike Hurd stuck around long enough to earn the victory despite giving up four runs and seven hits in six innings. Hurd never pitched with a lead, but inherited three runs after he pitched his last inning. Todd George pitched two scoreless innings of relief and two-way player Jared Ferrans closed the door on WSU with a scoreless ninth to earn his fourth save.

The Mavericks posted two early runs on the board in the first. The scoring came by way of only one hit as a pair of walks, a throwing error and a passed ball did most of the damage. Right fielder Kelly Crosby plated a run with a sharp single to left field.

Down 2-0, the Cougars inched back in the game with a single tally in the third. After senior Shawn Stevenson reached on an error by third baseman Levi Ness, Bailie stroked a single to center field to score WSU's first run.

After the first inning Rivard settled down into a groove allowing the Cougars to get back in the game. The senior right-hander posted perfect innings in the third, fourth and fifth frames. The Cougar bats got hot in the fifth and sixth innings giving WSU a 4-2 advantage. Bailie provided the equalizer with a triple to score Evan Hecker and later scored on a groundout by Wes Falkenborg to give WSU the 3-2 lead..

The Cougs capped their scoring with a single run in the sixth when Bookie Gates scored on a wild pitch. Texas-Arlington battled back in the bottom of the inning to score the tying and eventual game-winning runs. With runners on first and second by way of a walk and hit-by-pitch, Ferrans singled home a run to cut WSU's lead to 4-3. The Mavericks tied the game on a RBI groundout from catcher Matt Anderson and took the lead when Bryan Creighton bunted for a base hit, scoring Ferrans.

WSU staged a comeback in the ninth when pinch hitter Mike Knight led the inning off with a base hit. Stevenson sacrificed him over to second and then UTA intentionally walked Bailie. With the game-tying run on second base Falkenborg flew out to deep left field to give UTA the 5-4 win.

For the second time during the weekend the Cougs outhit their opponent and lost the game. Bailie (Mesa, Wash.) was 9-for-17 (.529) and combined to hit for the cycle in the four games during the Arlington Morning News Invitational and Monday's non-tournament game. The Kamiakin High product is hitting at a .452 (19x42) clip in 2000 with two homers and nine RBI. In the 11 games Bailie has appeared in a WSU uniform he has collected at least one hit in each.

After the disappointing 1-3 roadtrip to Texas, the Cougars will return to action next weekend with a three-game series against San Diego State (7-7) at Tony Gwynn Stadium starting Friday at 5 p.m.

WSU   001  011  000 - 4  9  1
UTA   200  003  000 - 5  6  2
Reggie Rivard, Lanakila Niles (6), and Zach Bode, Ryan Smith.
Mike Hurd, Todd George (7), Jered Ferrans (9), and John-Paul Davis.
W - Hurd (1-0),L - Rivard (0-2), S - Ferrans (4), HR - None.
T - 2:28, A - 163.
WSU Hits - Hecker 2, Bailie 4, Nilsen, Perreira, Knight.
UTA Hits - Kennedy, Ness, Crosby, Ortmeier, Ferrans, Bryan.
E - Gates (6), Ness, Ortmeier.
2B - None, 3B - Bailie (1).

Copy by Jeff R. Evans
WSU Sports Information