The Journal

Issue date: 3/3/05 Section: Sports

Media Credit: CHIHIRO JOGAKI / The Journal Sophomore Matt Adams completes a double play by tagging out Washington University´s Ryan Corning Feb. 27.

In the first game of the season Feb. 27, the Washington University Bears baseball team defeated Webster University 6-5 in a come-from-behind win, scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth, dropping Webster's record to 0-1 and keeping Wash U. perfect for the season at 2-0.

"Obviously at the beginning of the game we put ourselves in a good situation and we just didn't finish," Webster Head Coach Marty Hunsucker said. "Unfortunately we played our poorest in the last third of the game."

Wild pitches and intentional walks from Webster senior Alfredo Baez brought back Wash U. from a one-run deficit going into the ninth, but the Bears lagged behind for most of the game. Wash U. started to chip away at Webster's lead in the fifth inning, with a long double to left field coming from Dan Rieck, scoring Adam Goslin.

Webster senior Mike Dodd, who was on the disabled list for all of last season, had four solid innings shutting out Wash. U. He could not finish out the fifth.

"I think what it boiled down to was that it was the first game of the season," Dodd said. "Nerves always play a big part at the beginning of the year. We bust our ass for two months straight and then when we get a chance to get out there on the field and play, we're all going to be a little anxious."

The Wash U. rally continued after Dodd came out of the game after facing 22 Wash U. hitters, striking out one and allowing four hits. The Bears' Bryan Brown lined a single to right field, knocking in two runs.

The slim Webster loss was not solely based on the ninth inning breakdown, Hunsucker said.

"It doesn't come down to one pitch or the last at bat, it comes down to mistakes that were made earlier in the ball game," Hunsucker said. "We were up 4-0 in the top of fourth and what do we do? We come out and give them three runs in the bottom to get them right back in it."

Both Dodd and Hunsucker said the team's player chemistry - besides first game jitters - is solid, in practice and during games.

"The guys all work together really well," Dodd said. "It's probably one of the hardest working groups that I've ever played with and by far the hardest working I've played with at Webster."

Webster's March 1 game against Harris-Stowe College was postponed to 2 p.m. March 4 due to cold weather. Webster will travel to Hannibal-LaGrange College March 5 for the third game of the season.

Webster then heads to central Florida for the Port Charlotte Invitational baseball tournament, where they will play teams from around the country, including Heidelberg College (Tiffin, Ohio), which is ranked 23rd in the nation in NCAA Division III.

The JV team will be in action March 2 playing Mermac Community College at 6 p.m. wheather permitting.

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