March 12, 2000
Box Score
CORVALLIS, Ore -- Right fielder Justin Williams was 2-for-5 with two crucial RBIs as the Washington State Cougar baseball team pounded out 14 hits and 11 runs en route to a 11-6 non-conference win over Oregon State Sunday afternoon at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.
The win salvaged the three-game series for the Cougars, who dropped two games to the Beavers Saturday. WSU is now 8-12 for 2000 and the early leader in the Pac-10 with a 2-1 record. The win also improved the Cougars' record to 6-0 on Sundays. OSU had its seven game winning streak snapped and are now 10-7 for the 2000 campaign.
Left-handed reliever Matt O'Brien continued his perfect season on the mound by improving his record to 4-0 on the year. The senior from Seattle, Wash., pitched 3.1 scoreless innings while allowing only four hits and striking out three. WSU starter Reggie Rivard suffered through a tough outing allowing five runs in 2.2 innings.
The Cougars jumped out of the gates with hot bats, scoring two quick runs off OSU starter Thad Johnson. Consecutive singles from Stefan Bailie and Steve Curran loaded the bases and then a wild pitch scored Evan Hecker from third base. Jordan Nilsen gave WSU the early 2-0 lead with a run-scoring fielder's choice to third.
WSU continued to tag the Beavers in the second to scatter Johnson from the game. Three consecutive singles from Williams, Ryan Smith and Shawn Stevenson started the WSU rally. Stevenson plated the Cougars third run with a sharp single up the middle and Bailie later added an RBI groundout to give WSU the 4-0 lead.
OSU battled back in the bottom of the third by sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring five runs to take the lead. Left fielder Drew Hedges scored the Beavers first two runs with a sharp single to center field. Designated hitter Andy Jarvis gave OSU the 5-4 lead with a bases loaded single to right field to score two runs.
WSU retook the lead in the top of the fifth with two runs. Curran continued his hot hitting with his fifth hit of the series, scoring two runs with a double off the left field fence. The Beavers pulled even in the sixth with a solo home run off the bat of Hedges to tie the game at six.
The seesaw battle continued in the top of the seventh as the Cougs took advantage of a wild pitch on a strikeout to explode for a five-run, two-out rally. After Bookie Gates reached after striking out, Williams tabbed his second hit of the afternoon to plate two runs and give WSU the 8-6 lead. Catcher Ryan Smith doubled home Williams for WSU's third run of the inning and Hecker later added a run-scoring single to push the Cougs to an 11-6 lead.
O'Brien took control in the late innings, allowing only two baserunners in the last two innings. Several Cougars had good days at the plate, led by Williams and Smith's 3-for-5 game. Hecker capped a gre\at weekend at the plate with a 2-for-2 game to go 5-for-9 for the weekend. Curran also carried a hot bat through the weekend 5-for-12 series after going 2-for-5 with two RBIs Sunday.
The Beavers were led by Hedges who was 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Barden (3x5) and Will Hudson (2x4) also had success at the plate. Gerber managed to only go 1-for-5, but his double in the third inning set an OSU record with his 37th career.
WSU continue its seven-game spring break roadtrip as they head down to Southern California to play games against UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge. After a day off Monday, the Cougars will take on the UCSB Gauchos at 2 p.m. in Santa Barbara, Calif.
WSU 220 020 500 - 11 14 3
OSU 003 001 000 - 6 12 1
Reggie Rivard, Zach Fisher (3), Matt O'Brien (6), and Ryan Smith.
Thad Johnson, Stephen Copeland (2), James Atwood (5), Craig Hays (9), and Chris Biles, Bryan Ingram (6).
W - O'Brien (4-0), L - Atwood (2-3), S - None, HR - Hedges (2).
T - 3:01, A - 614.
WSU Hits - Bailie 2, Curran 2, Williams 2, Smith 3, Stevenson, Hecker 2, Hattenburg, Nilsen.
OSU Hits - Hudson 2, Hedges 2, Barden 3, Gerber, Jarvis, Davis, Gordon, Carter.
E - Hattenburg (9), Smith (3), Williams (1), Barden (2).
2B - Gerber (12), Curran (2), Smith (2), 3B - Nilsen (2).
c-o-u-g-s
Copy by Jeff R. Evans
WSU Sports Information
