May 14, 2000

Box Score

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Cal State- Northridge right fielder Tim Cotley went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a two-run home run to lead the visiting Matadors to a 7-3 non-conference victory and series win over the Washington State Cougar baseball team Sunday afternoon at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman.

After dropping four straight games against the Cougs in the 2000 season, the Matadors bounced back to win consecutive games to take the weekend series from the Cougs. The two teams swapped series wins at the visiting location, as the Cougs swept a series from CSUN earlier in the year at Northridge. The Matadors are now 23-32 on the year. WSU fell to 17-35 in 2000 and have now dropped 10 of its last 11 games.

With the suspension of two starting pitchers for the weekend, CSUN head coach Mike Batesole called on right-handed reliever Jeremy Davis for the start Sunday. Davis allowed only three hits and one run in his 2.1 inning outing, but did not factor in the decision. Left-handed reliever Ryan McDermott (2-4) rebounded from taking the extra-inning loss Friday to earn the win Sunday with a one-run performance over three innings. The Northridge bullpen was stellar Sunday, allowing only six hits and two runs in 6.2 innings.

WSU starter Matt O'Brien turned in a valiant effort on the mound with his third complete game of the year, but was saddled with the loss. O'Brien (8-5) scattered 14 hits and allowed five earned runs to cross the plate in his nine-innings of work. The left-hander shattered his previous career high of four strikeouts by fanning eight.

The Cougs jumped out to a positive start with a 1-0 lead after the first frame. After an eight-pitch, 1-2-3 first inning from O'Brien, WSU capitalized on a two-out, hit-by-pitch to Stefan Bailie to continue the inning. Senior first baseman Zach Bode came up with the clutch, two-out single up the middle to drive home Shawn Stevenson to give the Cougs the early 1-0 advantage.

The lead, however, would be the only one of the afternoon for WSU as CSUN rallied for two runs in each of the second, third and fourth innings. Cotley provided the damage in the second with at two-run home run over the right field fence. In the third the Matadors capitalized on a throwing error by O'Brien to score two unearned runs and jump out to a 4-1 lead.

CSUN extended its lead to 6-1 with its third straight two-run inning in the fourth. A leadoff double from third baseman Bobby Koba and a single from Cotley proved pivotal in the inning as both came around to score.

WSU senior infielder David Perreira provided a spark in the WSU lineup in the fourth with his third home run in the last six games to bring the Cougs within four runs.

WSU nearly eclipsed the 7-3 Matador lead in the ninth by loading the bases with one out. After second baseman Bookie Gates struck out looking, designated hitter Steve Curran put a jolt into a ball that fell just short of a game-tying grand slam. Curran ended up leaving seven men on base in Sunday's contest.

The Cougs were led offensively by Stefan Bailie and Evan Hecker who each tabbed two-hit games. Preseason All-American Jason Grove extended his current hitting streak to 13 games with a single in the ninth inning.

The Cougars will head into the final week of the 2000 season with four games remaining at Bailey-Brayton Field. WSU will host regional rival Lewis-Clark State Tuesday evening at 6 p.m., then return to Pac-10 action for the final time with a trio of games vs. Oregon State this weekend.

CSUN  022  200  100 -  7  14  2
WSU   100  100  100 -  3   9  1
Jeremy Davis, Ryan McDermott (3), Merrill Dunn (6), Steve Busby (9), and Jason Allec.
Matt O'Brien and Jon Baeder, Ryan Smith (9).
W - McDermott (2-4),L - O'Brien (8-5), S - None, HR - Cotley (2), Perreira (4).
T - 2:12,  A - 256.
CSUN Hits - Watkins 2, Stotts 2, Arroyo, Gorman, Koba 2, Cotley 3, Allec, Murphy 2.
WSU Hits - Hecker 2, Stevenson, Grove, Bailie 2, Bode, Perreira, Nilsen.
E - Stotts (17), Koba (10), O'Brien (1)
2B - Stotts (14), Gorman (11), Koba (9), Hecker (4), 3B - Allec (1).