April 20, 2000

Box Score

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Preseason All-American Jason Grove went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and four RBI and Ray Hattenburg raised his season average to .377 with a 2-for-4 game to help lead the Washington State Cougar baseball team to a 12-4 defeat of the Arizona Wildcats in a Pac-10 conference game Thursday evening at Sancet Field.

The win improved the Cougars overall record to 15-25 and ended their eight-game losing streak. WSU picked up its first league game since March 5 at Cal and are now 3-10 in the Pac-10. Arizona fell to 21-24 with the loss and are now 6-10 in the Pac-10.

After enduring one of the roughest starts in his WSU career last weekend vs. Arizona State, senior starting pitcher Todd Meldahl provided a dominant outing against the Wildcats to pick up his second win of the year. Meldahl (2-5), who is now second in the WSU record books with 47 career starts, allowed only four runs and struck out six in seven innings. Sophomore Zach Fisher came on in relief and struck out three of the seven batters he faced to seal the Cougar win.

Ben Diggins, who was the 32nd overall selection in the 1998 Major League draft and is projected as one of the top picks in the 2000 draft, endured his roughest outing of the year on the mound and lost his third consecutive game. The sophomore right-hander allowed nine runs and walked six in 4.1 innings to fall to 8-3 on the year.

After both teams exchanged runs in the first frame, Arizona jumped to the 4-1 lead in the second behind a four run inning. Center fielder Troy Gingrich provided the big blow with a two-run triple down the right field line.

The Cougs knotted the game at four in their very next at-bat. Hattenburg plated the first run of the frame with a single up the middle to score Evan Hecker. Grove then brought home a run with a sacrifice fly and the tying run came home on an error by shortstop Keoni DeRenne.

With Meldahl on cruise control on the mound, the Cougar bats came alive in the fifth with a five-run inning. Sophomore Bookie Gates provided a two-run double and senior Jordan Nilsen continued his solid play with a triple to score two more. Hecker brought home the fifth tally of the inning with a single to center field to cap the scoring rally.

WSU added two insurance runs in the eighth inning, with the duo of Hattenburg and Grove providing all the damage. Hattenburg drilled his team-leading 14th double of the year to set the table for Grove who belted his second home of the year to stake the Cougs to a commanding 12-4 lead. The Wildcats only recorded one hit after the fourth inning.

Grove continues to improve after sitting out much of the season with a broken bone in his hand and is now 6-for-10 with five RBI in his last two games. Hattenburg is nearly unstoppable at the plate as he extended his current hitting streak to a career-high 12 games. During his hitting streak Hattenburg is hitting at an amazing .489 (23x47) clip with eight doubles. Hattenburg also scored three runs Friday.

The two teams will continue the three-game Pac-10 series tomorrow night with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.

WSU      103  051  020 - 12  8  0
ARIZONA  130  000  000 -  4 11  4
Todd Meldahl, Zach Fisher (8) and Ryan Smith.
Ben Diggins, Tony Milo (5), Rob Elias (8), and Mike Meyer.
W - Meldahl (2-5),L - Diggins (8-3), S - None, HR - Grove (2).
T - 2:59, A - 595.
WSU Hits - Hecker, Hattenburg 2, Grove 3, Gates, Nilsen.
ARIZ Hits - Gingrich, Mote 2, DeRenne 2, Hassey, Durazo 2, O'Donnell, Abram, Jones.
E - Mote, DeRenne, Torres, Milo.
2B - Hattenburg (14), Grove (6), Gates (5), Hassey, 3B - Nilsen (3), Gingrich.

Copy by Jeff R. Evans
WSU Sports Information