May 11, 2010

Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Washington State University baseball team used a flurry of long balls in a 6-5 nonconference road victory over Portland, Tuesday, at Joe Etzel Field.

Senior first baseman Michael Weber opened the scoring for the Cougars (26-17) in the top of the first with a two-run home run over the right field fence after Cody Bartlett singled. It was Weber's third home run of the season and second in the past three games.

After the Pilots (31-13) tied the game with a two-run blast in the second, Bartlett jumped on pitch with one out in the third inning for his fifth home run of the season to put the Cougars on top 3-2.

Portland scored twice in the fourth against WSU starter Rusty Shellhorn to take a 4-3 lead, but the Cougars answered with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Junior shortstop Shea Vucinich hit a solo home run off the scoreboard in left field to lead off the frame and tie the game 4-4. An infield single by Garry Kuykendall and an RBI double by Bartlett chased Portland starter Chris Johnson (3-2) after four and a one-third innings. Three batters later, Brett Jacobs singled to score Bartlett for a 6-4 Cougar advantage.

Connor Lambert (3-1) pitched three shutout innings to pick up the victory in relief. Lambert allowed one hit, struck out two, and faced the minimum.

Paris Shewey came on to pitch the final two innings. Shewey gave up a solo home run in the eighth, but retired the side in order in the ninth inning to earn his second save of the season.

Washington State returns to action Friday at Stanford in the first of a three-game Pacific-10 Conference series. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

WSU NOTES
Washington State won its fourth-straight game and moved nine games above .500 for the first time since opening the season 9-0...Paris Shewey took over the team earned run average lead at 2.70...Cougar starting pitcher Rusty Shellhorn made his first appearance since March 26 and logged four innings of work.