April 2, 2000
Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Starting pitcher Matt O'Brien allowed only two runs in his first career start and earned the win to improve to 6-1 on the year as the Washington State Cougar baseball team defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs 5-2 Sunday afternoon at August/A.R.T Stadium.
The win gave the Cougars the series win after beating the Zags in Friday's opening game 13-5. WSU is now 14-17 on the year. Gonzaga fell to 15-14 with the loss and finished the year 3-3 vs. the Cougars.
O'Brien was phenomenal in making the adjustment from the bullpen to the starting role. In seven innings, the senior from Seattle scattered just eight hits and two runs. He struck out three and walked only one to pick up his team-leading sixth win of the year. The win was also the first by a WSU starter since Tyson Thompson picked up a win on Feb. 13 vs. the same Gonzaga team.
"I was a starter my whole life up until last year, so it wasn't a hard transition to make," O'Brien said. "This was my game to win. I went to bed last night knowing that I was going to come out here and win. The team did great as a whole and just played great defense. Know we have to go out and take care of business against the Huskies."
Gonzaga freshman starter Sean Lichter was saddled with the loss falling to 2-3 on the year. The right-hander allowed three runs and walked two in three innings of work. Relief pitcher Mike Jackson was stellar out of the bullpen, striking out five and allowing only two hits in 4.2 scoreless innings.
The Cougars jumped out to the early lead with a single tally in the first frame. Senior shortstop Shawn Stevenson (Everett, Wash.) led the game off with a walk. Spokane native Ray Hattenburg belted his third double in the last two games to drive home Stevenson and stake WSU to a 1-0 lead.
The Zags rallied for two runs in the third to take the lead. First baseman Adam Stokey plated Gonzaga's first run with a two-out double down the right field line. Designated hitter Barry Matthews put the Zags up by one with a sharp single to score Stokey.
The Cougars retook the lead in the top of the fourth inning by scoring two runs. After Jordan Nilsen led the inning off with a walk and Bookie Gates bunted for a base hit, Justin Williams tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field. Evan Hecker gave WSU the lead for good on the very next at-bat with a groundout to first base. WSU added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning to secure the 5-2 win.
Gonzaga had the leadoff batter reach base in seven of the nine innings, but could not capitalize as the Cougar pitchers and defense worked out of several jams. After consecutive singles from Brent Church and Jason Bay to lead off the eighth inning, WSU reliever Reggie Rivard coaxed Stokey to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Senior Todd Meldahl entered in relief to face the left-handed Matthews and got him to ground out. Meldahl, who started Friday's game, picked up his first career save to seal the Cougar win.
At the plate the Cougars were out-hit by the Zags 11-8, but came up with several clutch hits. Preseason All-American Jason Grove continues to improve coming off a broken hand and went 2-for-3 with several spectacular defensive plays. Hattenburg went 2-for-4 with a RBI, ending the three game series with Gonzaga hitting .500 (7x14) with three doubles.
The Cougars will next be in action Tuesday and Wednesday as the host cross-state rival Washington to a pair of non-conference games at Bailey-Brayton Field. The Huskies are coming off a Pac-10 series with Cal in which they lost two of three.
WSU 100 200 001 - 5 8 1
Gonzaga 002 000 000 - 2 11 2
Matt O'Brien, Reggie Rivard (8), Todd Meldahl (8), and Zach Bode.
Sean Lichter, Mike Jackson (4), Scott Stencil (8), Matt Siwek (9), and Brian Munhall.
W - O'Brien (6-1),L - Lichter (2-3), S - Meldahl (1), HR - None.
T - 3:12, A - 752.
WSU Hits - Hattenburg 2, Grove 2, Nilsen, Bode, Gates, Hecker.
Gonzaga Hits - Rodland 3, Bay 2, Stokey, Matthews, Munhall 2, Church, Kennedy.
E - Curran (3), Stencil (2), Church (1).
2B - Hattenburg (9), Grove (3), Stokey (6), Munhall (6), 3B - None.
c-o-u-g-s
Copy by Jeff R. Evans
WSU Sports Information
