Donny Everett, RHP, Clarksville HS (TN) - 2015 Draft
NASHVILLE, Tenn. Designated hitter Austin Bush hit a walk-off home run to lead off the 14thinning sending UC Santa Barbara to a 3-2 win over Washington Friday at Hawkins Field on the campus of Vanderbilt University. The Huskies fall into the losers bracket at the NCAA Nashville Regional and will face either Xavier or Vanderbilt Saturday at noon PT.
Bush took a 1-1 pitch from Alex Nesbitt (6-3) deep over the right-field fence to end the 4-hour, 45-minute marathon game.
The Huskies (32-22) had solid pitching for much of the game and threatened offensively throughout, but ultimately could not overcome an 0 for 17 afternoon at the plate with runners in scoring position.
I felt good about the way we pitched, said Husky Coach Lindsay Meggs. That certainly kept us in the ballgame.
The post-season is about one-run ballgames," he continued, "and we just didnt get it done at the plate. We really struggled, especially with runners in scoring position.
UW starter Noah Bremer was fantastic in his first taste of NCAA action. He threw nine innings and allowed just one run on four singles. He walked two batters both in the first inning. The sophomore from Berkeley, Calif. retired the last 16 Gauchos batters he faced, but threw 115 pitches in regulation and did not figure in the decision.
The Gauchos (38-18-1) struck first scoring a controversial run in the third inning. Ryan Clark reached on a single to start the inning and with two outs, Devon Gradford dumped a flare into right-center field that UW center fielder Jack Meggs made a diving attempt to catch. The first base umpire ruled he trapped the ball, and despite a brief protest from Coach Meggs, Clark scampered around from second to score the games opening run.
The Huskies tied things up their next turn a bat, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly. Chris Baker started things off with a single and MJ Hubbs hit a one-out double to put two runners in scoring positon. Joey Morgan followed by hitting a shallow fly ball to the right fielder Gradford. Baker took off towards home after the catch and was able to slide around the tag from catcher Dempsey Grover to tie things at 1-1.
Washington continually put pressure on UCSB starter Shane Bieber, putting the lead-off runner on base in five of his last six innings. But each time except for the fourth inning the Huskies were denied. Through eight innings they were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
Bieber left with the game tied 1-1 and ended up pitching 7 1/3 innings for UCSB, allowing eight Husky hits, walking two and striking out five.
The Gauchos reliever Kyle Nelson wasnt much easier to hit off. He struck out six of the first seven batters he faced before the Huskies were finally able to do some damage in the 12thinning.
The Huskies had a chance to win the game in the 12th, but could not hold the lead after they pushed the go-ahead run across the plate without the benefit of a hit in the inning. Nyles Nygaard led off with a walk and KJ Brady sacrificed him into scoring position. When first baseman Kyle Plantier threw the ball into the dirt, Brady was safe and Nygaard moved down to third.
After Meggs struck out, right-hander Trevor Bettencourt got the call from UCSBs bullpen to face his former high school teammate, Baker. He struck out the Huskies All-Pac-12 third baseman for the second out and then intentionally walked John Naff to load the bases.
Hubbs, who threw out a runner at third to end the bottom of the 11th, walked on a 3-1 pitch to force in the go-ahead run, Nygaard, from third base.
But, the lead was short-lived. Gradford connected on a 2-1 pitch from UW pitcher Greg Minier and knocked it over the scoreboard in left field to tie the game at 2-2. It was the Gauchos first hit since the fourth inning and Gradfords first home run of the season.
Justin Kelly pitched in the 13thand 14thinnings to earn the win for the Gauchos.
Well come back tomorrow, said Meggs. Its a crazy game and you never know what can happen.
Notes:--Vanderbilt freshman pitcher Donny Everett died in a drowning accident Thursday night, putting a somber mood at the ballpark. The Vanderbilt team met in the morning and decided to play today.--Bremer tied a career high with 9 innings today. He is the seventh Husky pitcher to throw nine innings in the post-season.--The only other UW post-season game to go extra innings was also 14 innings in 1994 vs. Georgia Tech. The Huskies won that game 12-9.--Chris Baker has hit safely in eight-straight games, the longest streak by a Husky this season.
UC Santa Barbara 3 (38-18-1), Washington 2 (32-22) -- 14 innings
WASH 000 100 000 001 000 - 2 8 1UCSB 001 000 000 001 001 - 3 8 4
LOB: UW 15, UCSB 8. Noah Bremer, Spencer Jones (10), Greg Minier (11), Alex Nesbitt (12), Justin Kelly (13) and Joey Morgan; Shane Bieber, Kyle Nelson (8), Trevor Bettencourt (12) and Dempsey Grover, Thomas Rowan (14). W Kelly (2-0). L Nesbitt (6-3). SV none. HR UCSB, Devon Gradford (1), Austin Bush (8). 3B none. 2B UW, MJ Hubbs. Time 4:45. Attendance 1,898.
Source: http://www.gohuskies.com/ViewArticle.dbml?%26ATCLID%3D210996191
