Game 21: Saturday, March 24th 2:00 PM vs. CSUB, Husky Ballpark | Gamecast | Video | Weather
Game 20: Friday, March 23rd | Gamecast | Box Score | Season Statistics
(7-12) CSUB - 2 | 7 | 1 | 9
(13-7) UW - 4 | 12 | 0 | 8
W - A. West (4-1) 6 IP | 5 H | 1 ER | 2 BB | 5 K | 5 FO | 8 GO
S - J. Fedendall (5) 1 IP | 1 H | 1 BB | 2 K
L - J. McKenzie (1-2) 5.2 IP | 11 H | 4 R | 3 ER | 2 BB | 2 K | 7 FO | 6 GO
Hey, the Diamond Dawgs have more wins at home than on the road finally! A win was preordained it seemed between the beautiful day for baseball and the positive vibes reciprocated by the team; no reason to believe more of the same will not be seen today with the sun again. If you didn't wake up dancing a jig with your coffee - to cure the stout - while Natalie MacMaster opened your ears this morning, well, you should try it sometime. 'Tis good for ye soul, mo chara. Too many memories of mornings before tournaments, waking up around the trucks in some parking lot eating breakfast, listening to DMB before anyone knew who or what DMB was.
Winning is as infectious as a Sligo fiddle (NSFW: me ma be a fiddler; it's March people..), something Caleb Brown is keen to point out after the game yesterday. He is one humble man; with everything he has gone through in the last year, he still values the team winning above all. Keep tearing it up Caleb, Omaha is calling. One does not need clairvoyance to see April and May have the ability to become something special for Washington on the diamond in 2012, for both the ladies and men finally.
With 20 games in the books the Dawgs are now 7-3 at home, 6-4 away, 2-1 in conference and 13-7 overall. I would wager that Coach Meggs would consider that right on schedule down the successful season path. A winning record no matter how you slice it can only be described as, well, winning. Take a second to gather your brain shrapnel.... It isn't rocket science, its baseball science: winning more than you lose leads to a rising program, which becomes a new ballpark filled with talented baseball players. Sounds easy, huh? Only it isn't that easy. Meggs has the experience of doing this twice before in much more challenging situations; now he has a Pac-12 logo to show recruits. The uprising has begun, and it should come as no surprise, honestly.
I haven't had much scouting in the recaps as of late, as I don't feel totally honest trying to do any in-depth analysis with the Washington broadcast film. The viewing angle is great for a one-camera setup if you want to see the big picture; detail not so much. I'm really looking forward to the OSU game on ROOT Sports March 31, even though I might be in Corvallis... The Pac-12 Network cannot get here fast enough.
One can still glean some tasty morsels tho...
Winning Fact: Senior Power + going with the pitches given, driving outside fastballs to the opposite field. Two solo homeruns provided the two winning runs, via the bats of Sr.'s Caleb Brown and B.K. Santy. How do you need two runs to win? You don't, it just lets you breath, that's all. Santy is not a good contact hitter, but he does have good power and will knock the ball around once in awhile, this time a line drive cannon shot into the CF netting.
Caleb Brown has been swinging a very hot bat in his limited at-bats, providing more fuel the fire. What Fire? The one wondering what Brown did to get demoted after 3 years as a starter. In my opinion, I'm glad I'm not the one deciding the starting lineup.
Jayce Ray has been the spark all year long at the top of the order while playing a great glove - minus one game - in CF, Campo and Brown are tied for the team lead w/Wiggins with 2 HR's, and Joe Meggs in LF, though the coaches son, is a starting caliber outfielder. Caleb Brown deserves to get starts playing like this, especially in his Senior year; more rotations might be on tap.
Game 20 Recap
Quick version: Washington scored one run in four consecutive innings on 12 hits, CSUB two innings with one run each on 7 hits. In a battle of ones, average bases taken per hit becomes the most crucial stat. Three of the 19 total hits between the two teams - 17 were eventually left on base - determined the outcome of this game: UW hit two homeruns, CSUB a double. The remaining 16 hits were singles; Dawgs > Roadrunners.
>1st Inning: OK, warmed up now.
Aaron West is becoming automatic: 5-6 innings, ~5 K's, 2 or less walks, while keeping the opposition around 2 runs only. He earned another win his command of the fastball inside, offspeed outside. Doesn't matter much if the other guys know what he's going to do, they still have to hit it; ala the Super Bowl Seahawks running to the left behind Big Walt and Hutch. Alexander had it soooo easy.
>>2nd Inning: 2 H | 2 LOB
With the first of many LOB, Berry lead the 2nd off with a walk after a new at-bat courtesy of Brown, who was picked off at 1B to end the first after his own walk. These would be the only two walks given to the Dawgs all night, and they wasted them.
Wiggins had an 0-4 day, cooling off quickly after a torrid stretch earning him the top spot on the team in slugging%. This would be the first of two K's for him.
Lamb tried to decapitate the pitcher with this line drive shot to center, while Pehl made him throw an entire inning's worth of pitches in one at-bat, eventually hitting a single to left that was too short to drive in a run. Bases loaded one out, all right we have something here. Santy said no with a double play ball to the 2B to end it.
>>> 3rd Inning: 1 R | 3 H | 1 E | 2 LOB
West gave the 'Runners their final free pillow in the 3rd.
Ray and Meggs singled, the pitcher wild pitched them to second and third, and Berry started the one run-inning streak with a RBI single. 1-0 Dawgs.
>>>> 4th Inning: 1 R | 3 H | 1 LOB
West cruising...
in 4 innings the Dawgs had 8 hits, yet only 2 runs to show for it. Why? Singles! Pehl, Santy and Afenir combined this time around for one run, 2-0 Dawgs.
>>>>>5th Inning: 1 R | 1 H
Ah, the first of two CSUB bright spots. A single was sac-bunted to 2B for the lone 'Runner extra-base hit, a deep double off the the RF gap wall that might have gone out it another park...2-1 Dawgs.
Not for long said Brown, and with his big stick Caleb jumped on the very first pitch of the inning. Right field is only 317' on the line, and Caleb knew it, going opposite field with the outside fastball the 'Runners kept giving the Dawgs. 3-1 Dawgs.
>>>>>>6th Inning: 1 R | 2 H | 1 LOB
Leadoff single for the best Roadrunners bat, 3B DC Legg. West made sure he stayed at 1B.
Santy with his bomb to center, 4-1 Dawgs. The offense was shut down after this quite handily, the game becoming a bullpen battle quickly for the final third.
>>>>>>7th Inning: 1 H | 1 LOB
Kane with another three up, three down. He has been absolutely lights out lately. More love for him in the series analysis post.
Double play ball. The bats were very quiet at the end, disturbingly.
>>>>>>>>8th Inning:
Palewicz has been sitting around 91-94 with his fastball lately, though his command last night was not perfect. A wild pitch turned a 1 out single who was on 1B into a runner on 3B. The 'Runner, Sanay, never even hesitated at 2B, going full steam ahead to 3B from the start. Santy was caught off guard and was visibly upset with himself afterwords. Eh, it happens. A weak ground ball to Afenir scored him, 4-2 Dawgs.
>>>>>>>>>9th Inning:
Joshua Fredendall has been marvelous this year, so much so I don't know how to react if he struggles. His normally laser-precise command was nowhere to be seen, and he walked runners to second and third, one out and the go-ahead run at the plate....uh oh I said on twitter....
He only came back to strike the next two batters out to earn his save and end the game. Sorry for doubting you Joshua.