March 13, 2004

Box Score

Washington State's six-game win streak came to an end Saturday as the Cougars fell to Oral Roberts 6-4 in the opening round of the Yellow Book Classic, hosted by Pepperdine University at Eddy D. Field Stadium.

"Oral Roberts pitched very well against us," WSU Head Coach Tim Mooney said. "Offensively we need to continue to put pressure on pitchers and come up with timely hits. We didn't play poorly today, but we didn't play well either."

WSU's Aaron MacKenzie (3-1) took the loss for the Cougars (11-4), giving up six runs, three earned, and nine hits before Dane Renkert came on in relief with two outs in the seventh. Justin Ramsey (1-0) earned the win for the Golden Eagles (12-3), entering the game in the bottom of the seventh. He allowed two hits while recording four outs. Dane Towery pitched the final inning for his first save, striking out two WSU batters.

Oral Roberts overcame WSU's four second-inning runs with three runs in the fifth and the deciding three runs, all unearned, in the seventh. Golden Eagle Grant Plumley had the key hit, a two-run home run in the seventh inning tie that broke a 4-4.

WSU scored all four runs in the second inning off Adam Lesko, the Oral Roberts starter who worked six innings. Jason Freeman had the big hit, a two-run double that scored Brandon Reddinger and Justin McClure. Richardson opened the inning with a single and Zach Kosturos followed with a double to opening the inning. Both eventually scored on a throwing error by Lesko.

Oral Roberts' Ryan Welborn hit a triple to drive in the first Golden Eagle run in the fifth inning, and then scored when Matt VanDerBosch singled to left center. VanDerBosch scored off a wild pitch to close the fifth.

Brian Hanson tied the game in the seventh with a doubled to drive home Nate Griffin who reached on an error. One out later Plumley hit his second home run of the season.

Starting shortstop Justin McClure, a freshman, suffered a bruised right forearm and was replaced by J.J. Burress in the fourth inning, but his injury is not expected to keep him out of WSU's next game.

The Cougars will play California-Irvine Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at Eddy D. Field Stadium.

WSU 040 000 000 4 9 1
Oral Roberts 000 030 30X 6 9 1
Aaron MacKenzie, Dane Renkert (7) and Brandon Reddinger, Zach Frankin (8).
Adam Lesko, Matt Hancock (7), Justin Ramsey (7), Dane Towery (9) and Nate Griffin. W - Ramsey (1-0). L - MacKenzie (3-1). Save - Towery (1). HR - Plumley (2).
T - 2:41. A -138.
WSU Hits - Hart, Richardson 4, Kosturos 2, Freeman, Jas. 2.
Oral Roberts Hits - VanDerBosch, Hanson 2, Plumley 2, Rivera, Griffin, Welborn 2.
E - McAngus (4), Lesko. 2B - Richardson (4), Kosturos (3), Freeman, Jas. (2), Hanson (9). 3B - Welborn (1).