University of Washington
UCLA
Wagner's Hit In Ninth Lifts UW Past UCLA, 5-4
May 04, 2002 | Baseball
May 4, 2002
SEATTLE - Sophomore Mike Wagner's single that dropped just in front of diving UCLA right fielder Matt Thayer sent home the winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Washington baseball team evened the weekend series with the Bruins at one win apiece, winning 5-4 Saturday afternoon at Husky Ballpark.
The Huskies took back solo possession of second place in the Pac-10, improving to 9-5 in conference play and 21-20-1 overall. The Bruins fell to 21-27 on the year and 6-8 in the league. Freshman Will Fenton (Kingston/ North Kitsap) earned the victory in relief to improve to 2-2. Bruins reliever Chris Cordiero (1-6) suffered the loss.
The teams traded runs through much of the game. The Bruins took the lead in the first when freshman pitcher Wes Whisler, batting for himself, doubled and scored on a single from catcher Josh Arhart. Washington tied the score in the second when a sacrifice fly from Tila Reynolds (Renton/Liberty) plated DH John Otness (Tacoma/Wilson) who had reached on an error.
Washington went ahead 2-1 in the fifth. Aaron Hathaway (Vancouver/Columbia River) singled and eventually came around on a single from Otness, but the Bruins tied it at 2-2 in the sixth when Whisler belted a solo homer, his 10th of the year.
In the bottom of the sixth, freshman first baseman Kyle Larsen (Redmond/Eastlake) led off with a double, moved to third on a Reynolds bunt and scored when Greg Isaacson (Aberdeen) drove him in with a sacrifice fly.
In the eighth, Whisler helped his cause once again, belting his second double of the game off of UW reliever Brian Carter (Woodinville) to drive in Ryan Rasmussen, who had walked to start the inning.
The Huskies went ahead in the eighth when Isaacson's double fell just in front of diving UCLA center fielder Rashad Parker, allowing Larsen to score from second base. But, once again, the Bruins were equal to the challenge in the top of the ninth, when pinch hitter Adam Berry belted his league-leading 16th homer of the year to lead off the inning and knot the score at 4-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, Washington put runners at first and third when Jay Garthwaite (Kent/Kent-Meridian) walked and moved to third on Otness' bloop single to right field. After reliever Doug Silva was brought in to face Wagner, who dropped a bloop single down the right field line that fell just in front of a diving Thayer.
Sean White (Mercer Island) allowed only five runs over seven and one-third innings in the start for the Huskies, but didn't get a decision. Whisler threw seven innings for UCLA, allowing four runs, but also didn't figure in the decision.
The Huskies and Bruins play the final game of the series Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The game will air live on KKNW AM-1150.
LINESCORE Pac-10 Conference Baseball Washington 5, UCLA 4 UCLA 100 001 011 -- 4 7 1 Washington 010 011 011 -- 5 12 0 Wes Whisler, Chris Cordiero (8), Doug Silva (9) and Josh Arhart. Sean White, Brian Carter (8), Will Fenton (8) and Aaron Hathaway. W - Fenton (2-2). L - Cordiero (1-6). 2B - UCLA, Whisler 2; UW, Kyle Larsen, Greg Isaacson. HR - UCLA, Whisler (10), Adam Berry (16). T - 2:52. A - 411.
