Home Improvement Cougars Beat UW At Bailey Field For First Time Since 1992 Season

Sure, Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of archrival Washington might have pushed Washington State past the hated Huskies and into first place in the Pacific-10 Conference’s North Division.

But first-year Cougars coach Steve Farrington was quick to shrug off the impact 5-4 and 4-0 wins had on the standings.

Of more importance to the future of his program, Farrington said, was the fact that his team was able to protect its home turf against UW for the first time in three seasons.

The Huskies swept all three WSU games at Bailey Field in 1993 and 1994.

“Let’s put it this way: We haven’t won (against UW) here since 1992, so what does that tell you?” Farrington said shortly after Kyle Kawabata (7-2) had gone the distance to record his first shutout of the season in Saturday’s nightcap. “What happens in the conference and stuff, yeah, we want to function and get on top and stay on top.

“But the fact is, we have to take care of business and it starts right here at home. We didn’t want to do anything today but prove to ourselves and our program that what they’ve done to us here in the past is going to stop.”

The Huskies’ six-game Bailey Field winning streak ended with a thud in Saturday’s opener when freshman catcher Jason Hairston stroked a two-out single off UW relief ace Brett Merrick in the bottom of the seventh inning and drove Jim Horner home with the winning run.

Hairston’s clutch hit made a winner out of Robert Ramsey (3-1), who settled down after giving up a three-run homer to Ross Junkin in the first inning.

The Cougars scored a run off Merrick (1-3) in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game and then came back to bite the senior lefty again in the seventh.

“Merrick had one of his uncustomary bad days,” said third-year Huskies coach Ken Knutson, who suffered his first defeat at Bailey Field. “Once in awhile, I guess, that happens - even to good players.

“That was the game I wanted. I wanted a close game so we could get Merrick in there with a lead late. It happened, but we got beat.”

The Huskies had chances in the second game, too, but Kawabata had too much heart to give in - even to Farrington, who seemed on the verge of giving his senior ace the hook in the bottom of the ninth inning.

UW had loaded the bases with two outs when Farrington made his slow walk to the mound. And it looked like Kawabata, who had pitched out of another bases-loaded jam in the eighth, was history.

But the 5-foot-11, 195-pounder from Kailua, Hawaii, came up with a little white lie that saved his complete game.

“My arm was a little tired - I won’t lie about that,” Kawabata told reporters after the game. “But I didn’t want to come out of the game.”

So he didn’t come quite that clean with Farrington.

“He asked me how I was feeling and I told him right away, ‘Great! Fine!’ - do whatever you can to lie and stay in the game. And then he said, ‘Well, it’s your ballgame, so let’s go get ‘em.”’

Kawabata, who struck out nine and scattered six hits, went back to work and got Joe Trippy to foul out to third to end the game.

Rob Ryan provided all the offense Kawabata needed with a tworun single in the second inning. But the junior center fielder from Shadle Park was ejected a few minutes after he ran into Huskies catcher Christian Shewey while trying to score on Mike Kinkade’s double to left-center.

Ryan also played a key role offensively in the first game, knocking in one run and scoring two. Freshman outfielder Duane Stewart hit his first collegiate home run, a solo blast, for WSU in the second inning.

The Cougars close their homestand against UW with a single nine-inning game this afternoon at 1. Farrington has named freshman walk-on Kyle Poffenroth (2-4) as his starter. UW will counter with Sean Spencer (3-2).

WSU 5-4, Washington 4-0

UW 300 010 0 - 4 7 2 WSU 210 001 1 - 5 10 0

Kringen, Carpenter (3), Merrick (6) and Mahle; Ramsay and Kinkade. W-Ramsay (3-1). L-Merrick (1-3).

Washington-Trippy, Junkin, Cleeland, Mahle, Holmes 2. Washington State-Wetmore 2, Ryan 2, Cameron 2, Kaleikilo, Solomon, Stewart, Hairston. 2B-Trippy, Kaleikilo. 3B-Cameron. HR-Junkin (2), Stewart (1).

UW 000 000 000 - 0 6 2 WSU 002 010 01x - 4 8 1

Campbell, Irvine (8) and Shewey; Kawabata and Hamik, Hairston (7). W-Kawabata (7-2). L-Campbell (3-6).

Washington-Milloy, Spencer 2, Soules 2, Shewey. Washington State-Wetmore, Ryan, Kinkade 2, Naumu, Hamik, Hairston, Rask. 2B-Milloy, Kinkade 2, Ryan. 3B-Hairstion.

Portland State 2-2, Gonzaga 0-8

Greg Wooten went the distance, giving up three hits while striking out eight, as Portland State (7-6, 13-25) held off Gonzaga 2-0 in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday at Pecarovich Field.

The Bulldogs rebounded for an 8-2 win in the second game. Carter Master son cracked a two-run home run and went 3 for 3 with 5 RBIs to pace Gonzaga.

Gonzaga (6-9, 20-19) opened up an early cushion by scoring three runs in each of the first two innings. In the second inning, the Bulldogs collected no hits, but Viking pitchers Donnie Schmidt and Mike Young combined to give up six walks and a passed ball.

Darin Blood got the win for the Bulldogs by scattering eight hits and fanning 13 batters.

PSU 001 100 0 - 2 6 0 GU 000 000 0 - 0 3 0

Wooten and Burkeen; Olson, Caldwell (4) and Norton. W-Wooten (6-3). L-Olson (1-1).

Portland State-Crowston, Range, Post, Bleiler, Nielsen, Dory. Gonzaga-Brunell 2, Olson. 2B-Crowston.

PSU 010 010 000 - 2 8 0 GU 330 000 20x - 8 7 2

Schmidt, Young (2), Talavs (7) and Burkeen, Oulman; Blood, Hounsell (8) and Norton. W-Blood (8-3). L-Schmidt (2-5).

Portland State-Crowston, Range 2, Sandy, Bleiler, Jones, Neilsen, Oulman. Gonzaga-Brunell, Morgan, Masterson 3, Murrell, Hunt. 2B-Crowston. HR-Jones, Masterson.

Oregon St. 7-7, Portland 4-8

Oregon St. 000 502 - 7 8 1 Portland 210 010 - 4 8 0

Lovinger, Masewicz (5) and Schmidt. Reitzenstein, Travis (5) and Chastain. W-Lovinger, 4-2. L-Swinburnson, 1-1. Sv- Travis (2). HRs-None. T-2:50. A-326.

Oregon St. 030 220 000 - 7 14 4 Portland 010 000 250 - 8 6 0

Beard, Swinburnson (8) and Schmidt. Martin, Gradwahl (7), Travis (9) and Chastain. W-Gradwahl (1-1). L-Swinburnson (1-1). Sv-Travis (2). HRs-None. T-2:50. A-326.