Posted at 11:58 a.m., Sunday, May 28, 2006
Fresno State beats UH to win WAC tourney title
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
The top-seeded Bulldogs (43-16) went through the tournament 4-0, while second-seeded UH (43-15) went 3-2.
Brandon Burke (8-5), primarily a reliever who made four starts before yesterday, went 6 2/3 innings for the Bulldogs, giving up four runs, six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Tyler Davis (2-2) gave up four runs, eight hits and a walk with five strikeouts in four-plus innings for UH.
The Bulldogs wasted little time getting on the board when designated hitter Steve Susdorf drilled a 0-1 offering from Davis over the right-field fence for his 13th home run of the season with two out and the bases empty in the top of the first.
The Rainbows stormed back with two in the bottom of the first.
Robbie Wilder was hit by a pitch and took second on Derek DuPree's single. Justin Frash doubled to right to score Wilder, but DuPree was gunned down at the plate, as Frash took third on the throw home. After Luis Avila struck out, Matt Inouye's single to left scored Frash to give UH a 2-1 lead.
The Bulldogs chased Davis in the fifth after consecutive singles by Ozzie Lewis, Susdorf and Kent Sakamoto to tie the game at 2.
Darrell Fisherbaugh came for Davis and hit Nick Moresi with a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Brian Lapin then followed with a two-run single to give FSU a 4-2 lead.
After Frank LoNigro struck out, Todd Sandell walked to load the bases again, but Erik Wetzel grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Fresno State sent nine to the plate in a four-run sixth.
Loren Storey led off with bunt single and took third on Lewis' single to center; Lewis took second on the throw to third.
With the infield in, Susdorf grounded to second baseman Jon Hee, who threw to shortstop Chrisrtensen, who threw to Fisherbaugh to get the lead runner in a rundown, leaving runners at second and third again with the infield in.
Sakamoto then his a chopper to Hee, but Lewis beat Hee's throw to the plate, prompting a vehement argument by UH coach Mike Trapasso, who was ejected by home plate umpire Darrel Mason. Mason also ejected Lopez in Friday's loss to Nevada.
Moresi followed with an RBI single and Lapin bunt single loaded the bases to set up LoNigro's two-run single that made it 8-2 and end Fisherbaugh's day.
