Box Score
PULLMAN, Wash.- The Arizona baseball team battled through the snow and frigid wind to defeat Washington State 11-7 in Pac-10 action Saturday afternoon. Every Wildcat starter collected at least one hit in the victory as the Cats tallied 12 base knocks in the game. The win improves Arizona's Pac-10 record to 6-5 and moves them to 23-16 overall.
Junior Shelley Duncan got the Cats on the board in the top of the first with his NCAA leading 14th home run of the season. The two-out, two-run shot to right center scored Brad Hassey and gave the Cats a 2-0 lead. UA added two runs a piece in the fourth and sixth and scored a lone run in the fifth for a 7-4 advantage.
Mother Nature then stepped in with a icy snow storm that halted the game for 49 minutes after seven innings. When play resumed the Cats jumped on WSU starter Zach Fisher and reliever Lanakila Niles for four more runs in the ninth. The Cougars made things interesting with three runs of their own in the home half of the ninth, but Daryl DeSalvo came on in relief to shut down the WSU offense for his team-leading fifth save. Freshman Sean Rierson (4-4) earned his fourth win of the season scattering nine hits over seven innings while striking out four and walking two.
Offensively, Hassey, Duncan and Matt Abram all paired hits for the Cats. Hassey also drew three walks and scored twice while Duncan and Abram drove in two and one, respectively, while both crossed the plate twice as well.
Arizona will look for the series sweep tomorrow as the two school meet up for game three at 1 p.m.
Line Score
Arizona 11, Washington State 7 (Apr 07, 2001 at Pullman, Wash.)
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Arizona............. 200 212 004 - 11 12 1 (23-16, 6-5 PAC-10)
Washington State.... 000 220 003 - 7 14 3 (11-21, 3-5 PAC-10)
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Pitchers: Arizona - Rierson; Elias(8); DeSalvo(9). Washington State - Fisher; Niles(9).
Win-Rierson(4-4) Save-DeSalvo(5) Loss-Fisher(0-5) T-2:49 A-381
HR ARIZ - Duncan (14).
