May 27, 2007

Final Stats

DAVIS, Calif. - In his first start of 2007, Aggie junior Eddie Gamboa went the distance while a late Cougar rally came up short as UC Davis defeated Washington State 4-2 in the season finale for both teams Sunday afternoon at Dobbins Stadium.

WSU ends its 2007 campaign with a 28-26 record, 10-14 in Pacific-10 Conference play. UC Davis completed the season with a 24-32 record.

WSU entered the ninth trailing by three and had the tying runs on base before Gamboa ended the threat. In the ninth Paul Gran led off with a single up the middle followed one out later by a Zach Borba single, putting runners at the corners. Ryan Krauser's pinch-hit single to center scored Gran and placed the tying runs on base with one out. WSU drew no closer as Gamboa recorded two strikeouts to end the game.

Mistakes hurt WSU as the Aggies scored three unearned runs in the fourth, taking advantage of two Cougar errors. With one out in the fourth, Daniel Descalso reached on a two-base error by Cougar shortstop Paul Gran. A throwing error by catcher Mike Gilbert moved Descalso to third before coming home on a groundout to short. The run came without the benefit of a hit. The Aggies then loaded the bases on a hit batter, another error and a walk before Michael Jacobellis lined a two-run single up the middle for a 3-0 lead.

The Cougars had no luck against Gamboa as they managed just one hit through the first five innings. They finally broke through in the sixth when Gran's fielder's choice scored Travis Coulter, cutting the Aggie lead to 3-1.

Jacob Jefferies added an insurance run in the eighth as his sacrifice fly to left scored Brandon Oliver for a 4-1 lead.

Cougar starter Nick Ison suffered the tough-luck loss as he surrendered three runs, all unearned, on just two hits in his six innings of work. Ison struck out five and walked two before giving way to Nick Cebula to start the seventh. Cebula went the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits with a strikeout.

Suttmeier had two of the Cougars six hits on the afternoon while Gran and Krauser accounted for the two RBIs.

The Aggies managed just four hits on the afternoon, two by Descalso and one each by Oliver and Jacobellis. Gamboa finished the day allowing two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts.

While the season ended on a down note for WSU there were many highlights. Senior Jeff Miller ended his career in eighth place on the all-times games played list with 208 while fellow senior Wayne Daman Jr. ended his four years in Pullman ninth on the career strikeouts list with 197.

Junior Jim Murphy moved to the top of the career putouts list with 1,398 while sophomore Ross Humes also sits atop the single-season saves list with 12. Junior Steve Kost moved into a tie for sixth on the games pitched list with 65.

As a team the Cougars recorded back-to-back winnings seasons for the first time since the 1993-94 seasons while the 64 combined wins in consecutive seasons is the most since WSU won 69, also in 1993-94. The Cougars pitching staff set a single-season record with 18 saves, one better than last season's total.

In conference play the Cougars finished with a 10-14 record, ending in a two-way tie with defending national champion Oregon State for sixth place.

WSU BASEBALL
Washington State	000 001 001 - 2 6 3
UC Davis		000 300 01x - 4 4 1
WP - Eddie Gamboa (4-1).  LP - Nick Ison (4-8). Save - None
WSU - Nick Ison, Nick Cebula (7) and Mike Gilbert
UCD- Eddie Gamboa and Jacob Jefferies
WSU Hits - Scott Suttmeier 2, Travis Coulter, Paul Gran, Zach Borba, Ryan Krauser
UCD Hits - Daniel Descalso 2, Brandon Oliver, Michael Jacobellis.
E - Gran 2, Gilbert, Hanke. 2B - None. 3B - None.
HR -None