Feb. 5, 2005

Final Stats

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Washington State (1-1) baseball team used a Zach Kosturos double to win 8-7 Saturday in the conclusion of Friday's suspended game, but couldn't pull off another victory in the second game of the series against Sacramento State (1-1) at Hornet Field.

The Hornets won the afternoon game 9-8 with a run-scoring single in the ninth inning by Brian Blauser that plated pinch runner Darnell Guary.

In the 10th inning of the first game Kosturos doubled home Jason Freeman with the winning run. Freeman had earned a walk off relief pitcher Travis Kane (0-1). Wayne Daman Jr., who went on to start the second game Saturday, pitched the tenth inning to record the save for Nick Cebula (1-1), who had pitched the ninth inning Friday.

In the second game, Sacramento State out-hit WSU 13-5 and had a 7-0 lead before the Cougars broke loose with six runs in the seventh inning. Kane started for the Hornets and allowed just one hit in the first five innings. Closer Marshall Plouffe (1-0) picked up the win, giving up two runs, both earned, after entering the game in the seventh. Cebula took the loss after walking three consecutive batters in the ninth, setting the stage for Blouser's game-winning single.

"We haven't put it all together yet," head coach Donnie Marbut said. "Friday we hit the ball well and played tough defense. Today we didn't defend well and didn't really hit. It was great to see us down that much and come back to take the lead, but disappointing we couldn't hold on to win. On a positive note Steve Kost did a great job out of the bullpen."

Sacramento State took a 3-0 lead in the first with three hits, an Everett Rincon sacrifice bunt and two costly Cougar fielding errors. Jim Strombach scored the first run on a Cougar fielding error, while Matt Willson and Josh Levine had run-scoring singles later in the inning.

The Hornets added four runs to their lead in the fourth, taking advantage of two Cougar errors and a hit-batter. One Cougar throwing error allowed Billy sinacori and Travis Kassebaum to score, with Rincon and Wilson each collecting run-scoring singles.

In the seventh the Cougars scored six runs, aided by three Hornet pitchers who couldn't throw strikes. Jimmy Murphy had WSU's only hit of the inning, but three walks and four hit-batters fuelled WSU's rally.

WSU took a 8-7 lead in the eighth, scoring the first ron when Miller and pinch hitter Nick Hall hit back-to-back doubles. Freeman then hit a run-scoring single that plated Scott Suttmeier, who pinch ran for Hall.

In the bottom half of the inning Sacramento State tied the game when Brian Conradi singled to drive home Bauser, who walked and advanced to third on Wilson's single.

The two teams meet Sunday at noon to decide the winner of the series.

Washington State 000 006 100 1 - 8 17 3
Sacramento State 300 000 220 0 - 7 9 0
James Freeman, Dane Renkert (6), Nick Cebula (8), Wayne Daman Jr. (10) and Brady Everett.
Ethan Katz, Warren Rosebrook (6), Mick Joyce (6), Matt Campbell (6), Travis Kane (10) and Matt Wilson.
W - Cebula. L - Kane. Save - Daman. HR - Everett, McAngus.
T - 3:40. A - 121.
WSU's Hits - Rubin 3, Jay Miller 3, Zach McAngus 3, Jimmy Murphy 2, Jeff Miller 2, Brady Everett, Scott Suttmeier, Zach Franklin, Zach Kosturos.
Sacramento's Hits -Ronnie Muchado 2, Brian Conradi 2, Jim Strombach, Brian Blauser, Cliff Hindle, Josh Levine, Everett Rincon.
E - McAngus 2, Suttmeir. 2B - Muchado 2, Rincon. 3B - None.

Washington State 000 000 620 - 8 5 4
Sacramento State 300 400 011 - 9 13 1
Wayne Daman, Brett Sommer (4), Stever Kost (4), Dustin Willis (6), Nick Cebula (8) and Brady Everett.
Travis Kane, Kyle Christensen (6), Marshall Hendon (7), Justin Deme (7), Marshall Plouffe (7) and Matt Wilson.
W - Plouffe. L - Cebula. Save - None. HR - None.
T - 3:36. A - 285.
WSU's Hits - Jason Freeman, Brady Everett, Jimmy Murphy, Jeff Miller, Nick Hall.
Sacramento's Hits -Brett Flowers 3, Matt Wilson 3, Everett Rincon 2, Brian Blauser 2, Josh Levine 2, Brian Conradi.
E - McAngus 3, Muphy, Sinacori. 2B - Jeff Miller, Hall, Blauser, Levine. 3B - None