Feb. 20, 2004

Box Score

SEATTLE - The University of Washington Huskies pushed across single runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings Friday afternoon to break a 5-5 tie and push past the Gonzaga University Bulldogs (2-3) at Husky Ballpark in Seattle. Washington improved to 3-1 on the season as they limited the potent Gonzaga offense to only four hits on the afternoon.

Washington broke the 5-5 tie in the seventh inning against Gonzaga starter Eric Dworkis (1-1) as Taylor Johnson picked up his lone hit of the afternoon with an RBI single to right. John Otness would homer off Dworkis to open the eighth to give Washington an extra insurance run.

Sophomore catcher Kiel Thibault continued to swing a hot bat for the Bulldogs as he put Gonzaga on the board in the first inning with a three-run home run against Huskies starter Richie Lentz. Thibault drove in Jackson Brennan and Jeff Culpepper as both players reached on free passes issued by Lentz. Thibault would collect one of the Bulldogs other four hits later in the game as he held his batting average at .600 through five games this season.

Washington battled back against Dworkis with two runs in the second and single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Ben Johnson and Greg Isaacson drove in the Huskies runs in the second while Aaron Hathaway singled home Washington's tying run in the third. Matt Lane added a solo home run in the fourth before Hathaway tripled home his second run of the game in the fifth. Dworkis would work into the eighth striking out 10 Washington batters without allowing a walk.

Gonzaga scored two runs in the sixth to tie the game at 5-5. Freshman Aaron McGuinness delivered the big shot with a two-run home run to centerfield against Huskies pitcher Joel Villalobos. Matt Reding scored on the play for Gonzaga after reaching on one of seven walks Washington pitchers issued. Villalobos (1-0) would get out of the sixth and pitch the seventh to pick up the win. Will Fenton allowed only one hit in the final two innings to pick up the save.

Thibault was the lone Bulldogs player with multiple hits finishing the game 2-for-4 while Brad Welker and McGuinness accounted for GU's other two hits. Brent Lillibridge led the Huskies offense with a 4-for-5 day while Hathaway finished 3-for-5. The two teams resume their three game series on Saturday afternoon with a 1 p.m. start at Husky Ballpark.