PULLMAN, Wash. – Cooper Elliott's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th inning scored Derek Chapman with the winning run as Washington State avoided the series sweep with a 3-2 victory over Stanford Sunday at Bailey-Brayton Field.
With the victory the Cougars end their 2015 campaign with a 29-27 overall record, 11-19 in Pac-12 play. The 29 wins are the most by a Cougar squad since posting 37 during the 2010 season.
In the 11th, Chapman led off with a double to right, his second hit of the game. After P.J. Jones sacrificed him to third, Stanford loaded the bases with intentional walks to Ian Sagdal and Daniel Fredrickson. On the 1-0 pitch, Elliott's fly to right was deep enough to score Chapman standing up with the winning run.
Trailing 2-0 after five inning, the Cougars tied the game in the sixth as Shea Donlin doubled off the wall in left-center then scored on Shane Matheny's single to right. Jones then singled through the left side, scoring Tyler McDowell ahead of left fielder Quinn Brodey's throw home that was in time to get Matheny trying to score from second.
From there the WSU bullpen took over until the 11th as Sam Triece worked two scoreless innings before giving way to Ian Hamilton. The Cougar closer worked a career-long 5 2/3 shutout innings, surrendering only three hits, as he earned his first win of the season..
Stanford opened the scoring in the second as Matt Winaker singled to right then scored on Quinn Brodey's RBI double to left-center. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Jack Klein scored Austin Barr with Stanford's second run.
Jones led the way for the Cougar offense with a career-high four hits while Donlin added three, part of a 10-hit WSU attack. Cougar starter Ryan Walker departed with one out and the bases loaded in the top of the fourth. Triece came on and got a sacrifice fly and strikeout to limit the damage as Stanford pushed the lead to 2-0.
Prior to the game six Cougar seniors were recognized for their contributions to Washington State Athletics. Jones, Sagdal, Triece, Sean Hartnett, Ben Roberts and Joe Pistorese are concluded their Cougar career this weekend.
