Warriors breeze in Banana Belt opener; Cougars split
Copyright of the Lewiston Morning Tribune
 

A sturdy pitching performance by Washington State's Jimmy Freeman and another opponent-aided barrage by Lewis-Clark State served as the defining moments on the first day of the 50th annual Banana Belt Tournament at Harris Field.

Freeman threw seven dominant innings in the tournament's opening game Thursday, leading the Cougars to a 9-0 victory over Gonzaga.

In the day's nightcap, the Warriors exploited location problems by Utah Valley State pitchers, rolling to an 18-3 triumph.

Also Thursday, a first-inning surge carried Utah Valley to a 6-4 win over WSU.

Three games are on tap today, beginning at 10 a.m. with Utah Valley State (5-7) facing Portland (4-6). L-C (7-1) and Gonzaga (6-4) follow at 1 p.m., and WSU (8-8) takes on Portland at 4.

The tournament runs through Sunday.

WSU 9, Gonzaga 0

It's no coincidence the Cougars are unbeaten in games that open a weekend series or, in this case, a tournament. Freeman has thrown on each occasion.

But of the senior left-hander's five starts thus far, Thursday's scoreless seven-inning effort was clearly his strongest.

"Jimmy got off to a great start and pitched his best game of the season," said WSU coach Donnie Marbut of Freeman, who limited Gonzaga to four hits -- all of them singles -- while striking out seven and walking three.

Freeman, who didn't allow a Gonzaga baserunner into scoring position until the sixth inning and left the bases jammed with Bulldogs in the seventh, bumped his record to 4-0 while trimming his earned run average to 1.68.

Dustin Willis, who relieved Freeman to start the eighth, allowed one hit and struck out three in completing the shutout.

After scoring twice in each the second and fourth innings, the Cougars broke open the contest with a five-run sixth. The flurry featured four hits, including a two-run double by Kaeo Rubin and a two-run single by Jason Freeman.

Gonzaga starter Alan Cannell (0-1) went five innings, giving up 10 hits and all nine Cougar runs, eight of which were earned.

GONZAGA WASHINGTON ST.

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Brennan cf 3 0 1 0 Rubin rf 4 1 1 2

Holcomb 3b 4 0 2 0 JaFreemn lf 5 0 1 2

Thibault c 4 0 0 0 JaMiller lf 3 0 0 0

Carlson 1b 4 0 0 0 Kimbrel cf 1 0 1 0

Culpepper rf 3 0 0 0 Everett c 4 2 2 0

Terry dh 3 0 0 0 McAngs 3b 5 2 2 0

Hibbitts lf 3 0 1 0 Franklin dh 2 1 1 0

Ayala ph 1 0 1 0 Alexnder 1b 1 1 0 1

Campbell 2b 3 0 0 0 JeMiller 2b 3 1 2 2

McGuinss ss 3 0 0 0 Sttmeier ss 3 1 1 1

Totals 31 0 5 0 Totals 31 9 11 8

Gonzaga 000 000 000--0 5 1

Washington State 020 205 00x--9 11 0

Gonzaga ip h r er bb so

Cannell (L, 0-1) 5 10 9 8 1 2

Wayt 2 0 0 0 1 0

McEwen 1 1 0 0 1 0

Washington State ip h r er bb so

Ji. Freeman (W, 4-0) 7 4 0 0 3 7

Willis 2 1 0 0 0 3

L-C 18, Utah Valley St. 3

In their previous game, the Warriors reaped an almost unimaginable amount of free passes from Eastern Oregon -- they drew 16 walks and had a batter hit by a pitch.

Amazingly, Utah Valley State pitchers were even more errant. The five who threw Thursday afternoon/evening combined to walk 14 Warriors and plunk four with pitches.

This lack of control, along with L-C's 15-hit salvo, allowed the Warriors to match their season-high run total -- they beat Eastern Oregon 18-2 on Sunday.

Much like the earlier con-test, Thursday's deteriorated as the game wore on. Leading 4-2 through five innings, the Warriors broke out for eight runs in the sixth. This outburst featured as many Utah Valley State pitchers as L-C hits (three), and included four walks and two batters hit by pitches.

One of the hits, however, marked a season-first for L-C -- a grand slam to straight-away center by Brandon Mor-ris, who has four of the Warriors' six home runs and a team-leading 12 RBI.

Joey Dyche had four hits and drove in three runs, as did Matt Vogel.

Obscured by this onslaught was the solid pitching performance of Chris Kissock. The freshman right-hander worked the first five innings in economical fashion -- 62 pitches, 42 delivered for strikes -- scattering six hits, striking out three and walking none.

Justin Fuller, the preseason NAIA All-American who has been sidelined by a broken hand, made his season debut, serving as a courtesy runner for catcher Gavin Concepcion. The junior infielder, expected to return to the lineup next week, scored twice.

Click here for LEWIS-CLARK ST.-- UTAH VALLEY ST. Box Score

Utah Valley St. 6, WSU 4

The Cougars couldn't fully recover from a dreadful first inning, during which the Wolverines scored five times on three hits, an error, a walk and a batter clipped by a pitch. The Orem school, in fact, put up three runs before WSU made an out.

WSU ultimately doubled Utah Valley State's hit output 8-4, and got home runs from Zach Kosturos, Brady Everett and Jim Murphy, all to center field.

Murphy, a freshman, hit his first collegiate homer, a two-run drive, in the seventh inning. Kosturos led off the eighth with his first home run of the year, and two batters later Everett belted a solo shot for his team-leading fourth HR.

WSU starter Travis Webb (0-2) lasted 43 innings, yielding four hits and two walks while striking out two. Jayson Miller, who came on in the fifth after Utah Valley State scored what would be its final run, finished the game, striking out nine and surrendering just one hit.

Wolverine starter Jed Jensen (2-2) went seven innings, allowing four hits and striking out six.

Brad Hales drove in three runs for Utah Valley State, two on a first-inning double.

UTAH VALLEY ST. WASHINGTON ST.

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Drew cf 5 1 1 0 Rubin rf 3 0 1 0

Mendenhll 3b 3 2 0 0 Kosturs dh 5 1 1 1

Vance lf 4 1 1 0 JaMiller lf 4 0 0 0

Perry 1b 3 1 1 1 Everett c 4 1 1 1

Hales 2b 3 1 1 3 McAngs 3b 3 0 1 0

Newton c 2 0 0 0 Kimbrel cf 2 0 0 0

Bulow dh 4 0 0 0 JaFrmn cf 2 1 2 0

Harris ss 4 0 0 0 Murphy 1b 4 1 2 2

Hashimoto lf 4 0 0 0 JeMiller 2b 4 0 0 0

Connor rf 0 0 0 0 Sttmeier ss 3 0 0 0

Franklin ph 1 0 0 0

Totals 32 6 4 5 Totals 35 4 8 4

Utah Valley State 500 010 000--6 4 2

Washington State 000 000 220--4 8 4

Utah Valley State ip h r er bb so

Jensen (W, 2-2) 7 4 2 2 1 6

Giles 2 4 2 2 0 0

Washington State ip h r er bb so

Webb (L, 0-2) 4.1 4 6 5 4 2

Jays. Miller 4.2 0 0 0 0 9