PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State and Texas State split a nonconference baseball doubleheader at Bailey-Brayton Field, Saturday.
The Cougars (4-8) won the first game 4-3 before the Bobcats (10-5) captured a 5-3 victory in the nightcap to avoid being swept in the three-game series.
“It was nice to win a series,” Cougar Head Coach Donnie Marbut said. “But, you always want more. If you win one, you want win two and take a series. If you win two, you want to sweep. We had a chance to do that, but did not do some of the little things we needed to do to win the last game.”
In the opener, Washington State scored a run in the first inning off Texas State starter Taylor Black (1-2). With two outs, Nick Tanielu doubled and scored on a single by Yale Rosen.
Joe Pistorese carried the shutout into the seventh inning before giving up a run with two outs. Kellen Camus (1-0) came out of the bullpen to get the final out of the frame and keep the score at 1-1.
The Cougars answered in their half of the seventh when Matt Mendenhall led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch with one out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Luke Stratman.
Washington State added some insurance in the eighth as Collin Slaybaugh doubled with one ending Black's night and Tanielu greeted reliever Justin Dellinger with his first home run of the season to put the Cougars on top 4-1.
Camus ran into a bit of trouble in the ninth and left with a run in and runners at the corners with one out. Freshman Ian Hamilton retired Colby Targun on a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right field that brought the Bobcats within a run at 4-3. Hamilton then fanned pinch hitter Cody Lovejoy to pick up his third save.
Texas State grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning of the nightcap against Washington State starter Tanner Chleborad, but the Cougars tied the game with two runs in the home half of the second.
Rosen led off with a single and raced home on a double by Ben Roberts. Mendenhall followed with a single that plated Roberts with the tying run.
The Cougars seized a 3-2 lead in the fourth as Rosen started another rally with a leadoff double and scored on a two-out single by Ian Sagdal.
Texas State tied the game in the seventh with a run against Chleborad and took advantage of two walks in the ninth by reliever Sam Triece (0-1) that led to a two-run ninth that was the difference.
Washington State begins an eight-game road trip at Arizona, Friday at 6 p.m.
