April 15, 2000

Box Score

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Washington State starting pitcher Matt O'Brien allowed only three runs and tossed his first career complete game, but it wasn't enough as the nationally ranked Arizona State Sun Devils defeated the Cougars 3-1 in Pac-10 conference action Saturday afternoon at Bailey-Brayton Field.

The win improved the No. 4 ranked Sun Devils to 32-9 on the year and maintained a second place hold in the Pac-10 with an 8-3 mark. The Cougars dropped their seventh straight game and are now 14-24 on the year and 2-9 in league play.

In a game dominated by a pitcher's duel, it was ASU's Chad Pennington who came out on top to record his seventh win of the season. Pennington, who is no relation to the Marshall quarterback who was drafted in the 1st round of the NFL draft Saturday, scattered seven hits and allowed only one run in eight-plus innings. Pennington's previous long outing of the year was seven innings earlier in the season against Maine.

O'Brien (6-3) was simply stellar in his third career start and kept the nation's leading scoring team in check by only allowing 13 singles and three runs. The senior from Seattle struck out three and walked only one in his 118 pitch performance.

"Despite not getting the win, I really thought we sent a message today on national television that we can compete at the high level of play that the Pac-10 offers," O'Brien said. "I am very pleased with my performance today and just battled trying to give our team a chance for the win. We definitely have something to prove when we come back and play these guys tomorrow."

The Sun Devils took the early lead in the top of the first inning when third baseman Mike Lopez knocked in leadoff hitter Jeff Duncan with a two-out single to right field. ASU couldn't manage another score until the seventh when Mel Stocker plated Duncan with a bouncing single up the middle to stake the Sun Devils to 2-0 lead.

The Cougars battled back in the seventh frame to pull to within one on a solo home run from all-Pac-10 performer Ray Hattenburg. The solo blast was the senior's fourth of the year and notched his team-leading 17th multiple-hit game of the year. The Spokane native finished the game 3-for-4. After ASU added an insurance run in the eighth, closer Eric Doble came on in the ninth to secure the 3-1 win with his sixth save of the year.

While ASU out-hit the Cougs 13-7, the Sun Devils did not reach the extra-base hit category, with all 13 hits going for singles. Duncan paced the offensive attack with a 3-for-5 day at the plate, and the ASU 3-4-5 hitters of Casey Myers, Mitch Jones and Lopez combined to go 6-for-9. Freshman Jon Baeder was the only other Coug to record more than one hit, going 2-for-4.

The two teams will square off for the final time in the three-game Pac-10 series Sunday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Bailey-Brayton Field. Freshman Nick Kenyon will go to the mound for the Cougs in his fourth start of the year.

ASU  100  000  110 - 3	13  0
WSU  000  000  000 - 1   7  0
Chad Pennington, Eric Doble (9), and Casey Myers.
Matt O'Brien and Jon Baeder.
W - Pennington (7-1),L - O'Brien (6-3), S - Doble (6), HR - Hattenburg (4).
T - 2:33,  A - 863.
ASU Hits - Duncan 3, Stocker, Myers 2, Jones 2, Lopez 2, Phelps, Wyrick 2.
WSU Hits - Hattenburg 3, Nilsen, Williams, Baeder 2.
E - None.
2B - None, 3B - None.