University of Washington
Washington State
Cougars Beat Huskies, 9-1
April 08, 2004 | Baseball
April 8, 2004
SEATTLE - Washington State senior Aaron MacKenzie out-dueled Washington freshman Tim Lincecum as the Cougars posted a run in the sixth and four in the seventh to hand the 25th- ranked Huskies a 9-1 loss Thursday night in the first of a three-game, Pac-10 series at Husky Ballpark.
Neither team scored until the sixth inning. However, after the Cougars took a 5-1 lead into the ninth, WSU first baseman Grant Richardson belted a grand slam, his Pac-10-leading 10th homer of the year, to erase any doubt of the game's outcome. Richardson finished the game 1-for-5, but he drove in five runs.
MacKenzie, from Perth, Australia, didn't surrender a run until the bottom of the seventh and picked up the win to improve to 5-2 on the season. He worked seven innings, allowing one run on five hits and three walks while striking out six.
Lincecum (3-1), from Renton's Liberty High, struck out 11 in his seven innings of work, but suffered his first college loss, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits over seven innings.
The win improved the Cougars' record to 20-9 overall and 2-2 in the Pac-10 while Washington dropped to 18-9-1 and 4-3 in the conference.
The Cougars threatened to take advantage of a pair of Husky errors and a hit batsman in the second inning, loading the bases with no outs. However, Collin Richardson grounded into a double play that saw the lead WSU runner forced out at the plate and Brandon Reddinger struck out to end the inning.
Washington State finally pushed across the game's first run in the sixth inning. Coug leadoff hitter Kaeo Rubin led off the inning, reaching on the game's first walk by either side. A single from Jason Freeman put runners at first and second and Jay Miller reached on a fielder's choice that forced Freeman at second moved Rubin to third. Rubin scored on a second straight forceout at second, this time on a grounder from Richardson, giving the Cougs a 1-0 lead.
The Huskies threatened to break through in the bottom of the sixth. After Brent Lillibridge doubled to lead off and Greg Isaacson struck out, Zach Clem reached on a walk, MacKenzie's first of the night. A strikeout and a walk had the bases loaded with two outs, but Ben Johnson popped to shortstop to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh, Lincecum had nearly worked out of another jam. With two aboard and two outs, he struck out Rubin on a ball in the dirt. The pitch, however, got by UW catcher Aaron Hathaway, loading the bases. Second baseman Jason Freeman followed, lacing a 3-1 pitch down the left-field line for a bases-clearing double.
After a walk, Freeman scored from second base when Richardson reached on an error by Husky second baseman Greg Isaacson and WSU was in front 5-0.
Washington finally scratched a run in the seventh. Hathaway led off the inning with a single and eventually scored on a two-out single from Isaacson. In the top of the ninth, UW reliever Josh Conover loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter before giving way to Keaton Everitt, who surrendered the grand slam to Richardson, the first batter he faced.
The Huskies and Cougars play again Friday night at 6:30 p.m. The game will be re-broadcast on Fox Sports Net Sunday at 4:00 p.m. and again Monday at noon.
LINESCORE Pac-10 Conference Washington State 9, Washington 1 Washington St. 000 001 404 -- 9 7 0 Washington 000 000 100 -- 1 6 3 Aaron MacKenzie, Wayne Daman Jr. (8) and Brandon Reddinger. Tim Lincecum, Josh Conover (8), Keaton Everitt (9) and Aaron Hathaway. W - MacKenzie (5-2). L - Lincecum (3-1). 2B - WSU, Collin Henderson, Jason Freeman, Zach McAngus; UW, Ben Johnson, Brent Lillibridge. HR - WSU, Grant Richardson (10). T - 3:10. A - 813. Records: WSU 20-9, 2-2 Pac-10; UW 18-9-1, 4-3 Pac-10.
