Seattle University took the early lead and, after the University of Washington pull ahead in the sixth inning, had chances to tie or retake the lead, but the Huskies did enough to hold off the Redhawks, 4-3, Tuesday night in a non-conference collegiate baseball game at Bannerwood Park.
Seattle U jumped on the board in the second inning when Sheldon Stober (Kent, Wash.) led off with a single, stole second base, and scored on a double down the left field line by Sean Sutton (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho). In the fourth inning, Brian Olson (Black Diamond, Wash.) reached base on an error and scored on a single by Brock Carpenter (Milton, Wash.). Grant Newton (Bend, Ore.) drew a walk to load the bases with just one out, but Washington starter Josh Fredendall struck out the next two batters to strand the runners on base.
Redhawk starter Kyle Doyle (Covington, Wash.) allowed just one hit in the first three innings, striking out two Husky hitters. Chris Carns (Federal Way, Wash.) came on in relief in the fourth inning and allowed a walk and a single, but Seattle U turned a double play to end that inning without any runs scoring, and then Carns retired the side in order in the fifth inning.
Washington (22-16) broke through in the sixth inning, starting with consecutive singles from Braden Bishop and Chris Baker. After a strikeout, both runners advanced to second and third base on a wild pitch, and then Carns uncorked another wild pitch, allowing Bishop to score. Olson’s throw towards the plate was wide, allowing Baker to come around and score the game-tying run.
Branden Berry and Alex Schmidt both drew four-pitch walks. Josh Cushing hit a grounder to shortstop Griffin Andreychuk (Nanaimo, B.C.), who flipped it to Stober for the force at second base. However, Stober’s attempt to complete the double play could not be handled by Newton, allowing Berry to come around and score the go-ahead run.
Michael McCann (Vancouver, Wash.) and Carpenter drew walks in the sixth inning and advanced to second and third base on a wild pitch, but they were stranded at those bases. Berry drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning to increase the Husky lead to 4-2, but the Redhawks threatened to cut into that advantage in the bottom of the seventh thanks to singles by Andreychuk and Dalton Hurd (Bend, Ore.). Unfortunately, Andreychuk was doubled off second base after he left early on a flyout to center field by Stober.
In the eighth inning, McCann led off with a single and advanced to second on a Sutton groundout. After a Carpenter single put runners at the corners, Newton’s groundout to first base was deep enough to allow pinch runner Anthony Gosline (Spokane, Wash.) to score. Brandon Choate came on in relief and walked Colin Peterson (Bellingham, Wash.) and pinch hitter Curtis Perrin (Vancouver, Wash.) to load the bases, but Choate struck out Andreychuk to keep the bases loaded and the Huskies on top.
Hurd led off the ninth inning with a single, but Stober swung and missed on a 3-2 pitch, and Hurd was caught stealing for the first time this season. Choate retired the final Redhawk batter to earn his third save of the season.
Fredendall earned his third victory of the year, giving up four hits, two walks, and two runs, one of them earned, in five innings of work while striking out five batters. Carns took the loss for the Redhawks, allowing three hits, two walks, and three runs in 2 1/3 innings on the mound, plus he struck out three batters.
Seattle U outhit Washington, 9-6, led by Andreychuk, Hurd, and Carpenter with two hits apiece. No Husky batter earned more than one hit during the night, but Bishop scored twice and Washington played better defense with just one error while Seattle U committed four errors.
Seattle University (21-19) heads to Bakersfield to face the CSUB Roadrunners in a key three-game WAC series, starting Friday, April 24, at 6 p.m. Jake Eastman will broadcast all three games of the series live on GoSeattleU.com, starting with the pregame show shortly before first pitch each day.