April 20, 2007

Final Stats

PULLMAN, Wash. - Bill Rhinehart and T.J. Steele connected for back-to-back home runs as part of a three-run seventh inning to lift No. 12 Arizona to a 3-1 win over Washington State in the Pacific-10 Conference series opener Friday evening at Bailey-Brayton Field.

Cougar starter Wayne Daman Jr. was cruising through 6 1/3 innings until allowing an infield single to Brad Glenn in the seventh. Rhinehart then lined a two-run home run off the top of the wall in right for the Wildcats' (31-7, 9-1) first lead of the night. Steele followed by hitting the next pitch over the wall in left for the 3-1 lead. Up to that point Daman had allowed just one hit, a single to Steele in the second inning.

It was a pitchers duel much of the night as Daman and counterpart Preston Guilmet went pitch-for-pitch. After both teams were held scoreless through three innings, the Cougars (17-18, 1-9) jumped on the board first by stringing together three hits in the fourth. Jared Prince led off with a single to right followed two outs later by a Jeff Miller sharp single to left. Paul Gran then drilled the first pitch up the middle, scoring Prince for the first run of the game. It was also the only run for WSU has Guilmet stymied the Cougar bats the rest of the way.

WSU looked ready to add more in the fifth as with one out Guilmet walked the next two batters before an inning-ending double play eliminated the threat. Prince led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk but was stranded at first as Guilmet struck out the next three batters. Jason Stoffel came on in the ninth and retired the Cougars in order for his third save of the season while Guilmet picked up the win to move to 8-0.

Daman was equally impressive as he worked a season-best eight innings, allowing three runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Four times in the first six innings Daman retired the Wildcats in order and had faced just two over the minimum up to that point. Prince had two hits to lead a seven-hit Cougar attack.

These same two teams continue the three-game series Saturday afternoon at Bailey-Brayton Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.

WSU BASEBALL
Arizona		000 000 300 - 3 4 0
Washington State 	000 100 000 - 1 7 1
WP - Preston Guilmet (8-0). LP - Wayne Daman Jr. (2-3). Save - Jason Stoffel (3).
ARIZ - Preston Guilmet, Jason Stoffel (9) and Dwight Childs, John Murphy
WSU - Wayne Daman Jr., Jeremy Johnson (9), Steve Kost (9), Seth Harvey (9) and Greg Lagreid
ARIZ Hits - T.J. Steele 2, Bill Rhinehart, Brad Glenn
WSU Hits - Paul Gran 2, Travis Coulter, Jared Prince, Scott Suttmeier, Simi Reynolds, Jeff Miller
E - Bartlett. 2B - None. 3B - Coulter.
HR -Rhinehart, Steele.