April 2, 2004
Box Score
CORVALLIS, Ore.- Paced by a two-run homer by freshman Jason Donald, a
season-high four double plays on defense and fine outing by the pitching staff,
the Arizona baseball team (14-11-1, 3-1 Pac-10) defeated Oregon State 4-3 in
the opening game of a three-game conference series in Corvallis on Friday.
Clinging to a one-run lead, junior Derek Rodriguez closed the door on a Beaver
threat in the ninth to pick up his fifth save of the season. The right-hander,
who made his 11th-straight appearance without giving up a run, got OSU?s
Scott Nelson to line out to Trevor Crowe in left field to end the game with the
tying run just 90 feet away.
The inning of work by Rodriguez preserved UA starter Koley Kolberg?s fourth
win of the year. The right-hander (4-2) gave up three runs on just six hits in
eight innings of work. He struck out four, walked four and was the beneficiary
of UA?s four double plays turned on the evening.
Donald?s home run to left in the top of the seventh, his team-leading sixth
of the season but his first in the last 16 games, broke a 2-2 tie and handed
the Wildcats the lead in the game.
Sophomore Derek Decater led off the seventh with a bunt towards the third base
side of the infield. OSU starter Jake Postlewaite struggled to collect the
ball, allowing Decater to reach base on a fielding error.
Postlewaite settled down to induce John Hardy to hit a fly ball to center for
the first out of the inning before being lifted in favor of reliever Kevin
Gunderson.
Donald crushed Gunderson?s second offering in relief over the wall in left
for the pair of RBI and the two-run Arizona lead. Postlewaite (6-1) was charged
with his first loss of the season, giving up three runs, two earned, on four
hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked four.
The Wildcats, who squandered a pair of scoring opportunities in the first and
second innings and trailed 2-0 through the first four frames, got on the board
with a run in the fifth on Richard Mercado?s solo home run over the right
field wall.
UA rallied to tie the game at 2-2 when senior Moises Duran came around to score
from second on a single off the bat of Trevor Crowe in the top of the sixth.
OSU jumped out to an early lead, scoring single runs in each of the first and
fourth innings. The Beavers closed to within one in the bottom of the ninth
before Rodriguez shut the door and quashed the rally on the liner to left.
Mercado led the Wildcats at the plate with a 2 for 3, one-run night, including
his first homer of the year. Donald finished 2 for 5 with two RBI and a run
scored in the winning effort.
Arizona and Oregon State will play the second game of the three-game series on
Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 pm MST. KNST 790 AM will broadcast the
game live on the radio.
