March 4, 2005

Box Score

Lewiston, Idaho -- - Sophomore Jeff Miller went 2-for-5 and drove home five runs as the Washington State baseball team defeated the University of Portland 15-8 in its third game of the Banana Belt Tournament Friday at Harris Field. The Cougars are now 2-1 in tournament play.

Freshman Matt Oye started the game for the Cougars (9-8), but surrendered six runs, three earned, during 3.2 innings on the mound. WSU's Eric Dingwall (1-0) earned the win, throwing 3.1 innings while allowing no runs and three hits. He struck out six batters. Also seeing mound time for the Cougars was Steve Kost, who threw two innings and allowing two runs on two hits.

"We had a good offensive performance tonight," WSU Head Coach Donnie Marbut said. "Anytime you score 15 runs in a game you've executed the offense well. Jeff Miller is a hard working kid with a great work ethic. The extra work he puts in showed tonight. I am happy with Kost's and Dingwall's performances out of the bullpen. Kost had a solid showing and Eric (Dingwall) was just outstanding tonight."

Earning the loss for the Pilots (5-7) was starting pitcher Given Kutz (2-2). Kutz threw 6.1 innings, allowing eight hits and 10 runs, five of which were earned.

WSU's 15 runs were highlighted by Jeff Miller's five RBI performance, including a three-run home run in seventh inning. Jim Murphy also went deep with a two-run shot to right field for his second home run in as many games.

The Cougars posted two early runs in the top of the first inning following a run scoring double by Jason Freeman and a sacrifice fly by Brady Everett. WSU added runs in the top of the third and fourth. In the third, Kaeo Rubin scored on a single to left by Jay Miller to give WSU a 3-0 lead. The next inning the Cougars posted another run when Jeff Miller drove home his first run, scoring Zach Kosturos.

Portland posted its first run of the game in the bottom of the third when Jason Krohn was plated on a single by Nik Kosach. The Pilots rallied in the fifth, scoring five runs on three hits, including a two-run home run to left center by Krohn.

The Cougs answered the Pilots' five-run inning with three tallies in the top of the sixth to take a 7-6 lead. The three runs were driven home by Zach McAngus' triple, a one-run single by Kosturos and Jeff Miller's double to right center.

The Pilots then scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to regain the lead 8-7. The final Portland runs of the game came on a two-run home run to right center by Kosach.

WSU rallied in the seventh to score five runs, putting the Cougars on top 12-8. The runs were scored on Jeff Miller's three-run homer, a throwing error allowing Jason Freeman to score and a sacrifice fly to score Everett. WSU posted another run on the board during the eighth inning on a single by Everett that scored Jay Miller.

The final Cougar runs came in the ninth on Murphy's home run with pinch hitter Nick Hall at second base after he led off the inning with a double down the left field line.

Wayne Daman Jr. (2-0), who is boasting a 1.23 ERA, will get the start for the Cougs Saturday against Lewis-Clark State in WSU's final game of the tournament. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Harris Field.

WSU		201 103 512 - 15 14 4
Portland	001 502  000 -  8  10 4
Matt Oye, Steve Kost (4), Eric Dingwall (6) and Brady Everett
Given Kutz, Chris Siegfried (7) and Riley Snell, Joe Watson (7).
W - Dingwall (1-0). L - Kutz (2-2). Save - None. HR - Murphy, Je. Miller, Krohn, Kosach.
T - 3:05. A - 85.
WSU Hits - Rubin, Freeman 2, Ja. Miller 2, Everett, McAngus, Kosturos 2, Hall, Murphy, Je. Miller 2, McClure
Portland Hits - Krohn 2, Kosach 3, Pierce 2, Krause, Rodgers 2,
E - Alexander, McClure 3, Little, Krohn, Wiltshire, Rodgers. 2B - Rubin, Freeman, Kosturos, Hall, Je. Miller, Krohn, Pierce, Rodgers. 3B - McAngus, Rodgers.