March 17, 2011
Box Score 
FRESNO, Calif. - Junior Adam Conley struck out a career-high 10, but Washington State fell 7-5 to No. 17 Fresno State in the opener of a four-game nonconference series, Thursday night.
Conley (4-1) yielded seven runs, three earned, on 10 hits and walked one in six and two-thirds innings. Brett Jacobs, Matt Argyropoulos and Tommy Richards each had two hits for the Cougars (9-5).
"It takes little things to win," Washington State Head Coach Donnie Marbut said. "Tonight we didn't make a couple of plays, but we came back and gave ourselves a chance to win in the ninth."
Fresno State (12-2) scored in each of the first-two innings while Jacobs plated a run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the second for the Cougars. In the third, Washington State scored three times to take a 4-2 lead. Taylor Ard led off with a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Richards collected an RBI-single and Jay Ponciano capped the rally with a sacrifice fly.
In the fourth, the Bulldogs scored four unearned runs with two outs on a pair of singles, an error, a walk and a triple. Derek Jones homered in the fifth to pull the Cougars within 6-5.
Fresno State added a run in the seventh for a 7-5 advantage before the Cougars loaded the bases with no one out in the eighth. Washington State failed to score when Cody Bartlett bounced into a 3-2-3 double play and Jacobs flied out.
The Cougars threatened in the ninth with runners at first and second and one out. Argyropoulos singled, but Jason Monda was cut down at the plate trying to score for the second out and Adam Nelubowich flied out to the warning track to end the game.
The series continues at 6:05 p.m., Friday. NewsTalk 1150 AM/105.3 FM will broadcast the game live.
COUGAR NOTES
Derek Jones hit the 26th career home run...Cougar pitchers struck out at least 10 batters for the fifth time this season.
