April 20, 2013

Box Score

BERKELEY, Calif. - Jason Monda's single in the top of the ninth inning scored Trace Tam Sing and Washington State defeated California 7-6 in Pac-12 Conference baseball, Saturday night.

Monda (2-0) also earned the victory on the mound, working two shutout innings. His game-winning hit made a loser out of California (17-21, 6-11 Pac-12) reliever Dylan Nelson (1-4).

"It was definitely a hard-fought win over nine innings," Cougar Head Coach Donnie Marbut said. "Our bullpen was really good tonight."

The Cougars (19-17, 6-8 Pac-12) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first when Adam Nelubowich, who finished 3-for-3 with four RBI, belted a two-run home run.

The Golden Bears responded with two runs in the first and two more in the second to chase Washington State starter Tanner Chleborad.

The Cougars got even in the fourth when Nelubowich led off with a single and Collin Slaybaugh reached on an error with one out and scored on a two-out double by Nelubowich to give Washington State a 5-4 lead.

In the seventh, Slaybaugh and Monda singled with one out to put runners at the corners and Nelubowich plated a run with a sacrifice fly for a 6-4 advantage.

California tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runs, one unearned, against Cougar reliever J.D. Leckenby. Chris McDowell (two innings), Leckenby and Monda combined for eight innings of relief with seven strikeouts.

The series concludes, Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.