March 1, 2007
Pullman, Washington - Utah Valley lost its opener of the Banana Belt Tournament to Pac-10 foe Washington State 17-7, thanks in part to 13 Cougar hits, 14 walks and four hit batters by the UV pitching staff.
The Wolverines (2-7) got two hits and three runs batted in from sophomore DH Josh Hinckley, who gave UV an early 2-0 lead on a double in the top of the first inning.
But from there on it was all Washington State (4-3) as the home team capitalized on Utah Valley's inability to hit the strike zone, scoring seven straight runs to take a 7-2 lead after four innings.
WSU's Matt Fanelli capped a two out rally in a four-run fourth inning with a single that scored Zach Borba and Jared Prince. All four fourth inning runs came after the first two hitters of the inning were retired.
Wolverine first baseman Dan Bulow had an RBI single and later scored on a balk in a three-run fifth to momentarily get UV back in the game at 7-5, but the Cougars quickly put the outcome out of reach with a six-run inning to take a 13-5 lead.
Greg Lagreid paced Washington State with three hits, two RBI and two runs scored.
The Wolverines will have a short turnaround with a game against Gonzaga on Friday at Noon in Lewiston, Idaho.