PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State baseball dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 5 UCLA in Friday's series-opener at Bailey-Brayton Field.
The Cougars (12-12, 1-6 Pac-12) took a one-run lead in the fifth inning but allowed three UCLA (19-5, 6-1 Pac-12) runs to score in the top of the sixth that proved to be the difference. The Bruins' starting pitcher James Kaprielian allowed three runs and struck out nine in eight innings to pick up the win and improve to 6-1 while David Berg worked a perfect ninth to earn his fifth save of the season. Washington State starter Sean Hartnett battled through five innings, allowing just one earned run on six hits, while walking three and striking out one. Left-handed reliever Matt Bower (4-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits and a walk in the sixth inning.
UCLA pushed a run across in the first as Hartnett struggled to find the zone early, allowing just one run despite giving up two hits and walk. The senior right-hander got out of the inning with a strikeout and a groundout.
Kaprielian was locked early for the Bruins, holding WSU without a baserunner for the first four innings before the Cougars got to the junior right-hander in the bottom of the fifth as Cooper Elliott drew a two-out walk. Two pitches later Ben Roberts pulled a pitch down the right field line and into the corner for an RBI double, scoring Elliott from first after he just beat the tag with a head first dive into home plate. Tyler McDowell gave WSU a 2-1 lead, following Roberts with a base hit to the right side off the diving UCLA first baseman's glove for an infield single to score Roberts who hustled around from second.
The Bruins answered with three runs in their half of the sixth, using an infield single, a walk and a run-scoring single to right to push one across off Bower who relieved Hartnett to start the sixth. UCLA pushed two more runs across in the inning, scoring once on a fielder's choice and another on a play that featured a foul out and an interference call. The play started with UCLA's Chris Keck fouling out to catcher P.J. Jones in front of the Cougar's third-base dugout. Jones then fired to second as a UCLA baserunner attempted to tag up at first and advance to second. Jones' throw beat the runner and the Cougars had the Bruin in a rundown before the runner stumbled on the play just as the Cougars tagged him out but the umpire ruled interference on a WSU infielder, allowing the runner to advance to second. During the play, another Bruins runner scored from third to push the UCLA lead to 4-2.
Washington State picked up a run in the eighth as Derek Chapman pulled a ball just inside the third-base bag and down the left field line for a triple. Shea Donlin followed with an RBI-groundout to shortstop to cut the UCLA lead to 4-3.
Jones gave WSU some momentum heading into the ninth after picking off a Bruin baserunner at second to end the top off the inning but UCLA closer David Berg retired the Cougars in order in the bottom of the ninth to seal up a 4-3 UCLA win.
Washington State looks to even the series as southpaw Joe Pistorese takes the mound for the Cougars in game two. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m., Saturday.
