PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State swept both games of a doubleheader, 7-2 and 8-1 over Northeastern University at Bailey-Brayton Field Sunday afternoon. The Cougars (7-9) claimed the final three games of the four-game series including a rain-shortened finale that was called in the top of the sixth after a lengthy weather delay.
Shane Matheny led the way offensively in game one, recording three hits and three RBI while Trek Stemp drove in two runs, Dugan Shirer scored twice and Derek Chapman stole two bases. Washington State received an impressive outing from freshman starter Parker McFadden who struck out six, allowed two earned runs on five hits in a season-best six innings to improve to 2-0.
Northeastern (7-8) used a pair of doubles to score a run in the opening frame before McFadden settled in. The freshman from Yelm, Wash. retired the side in the second, faced the minimum in the fourth, sat the Huskies down in order in the fifth and worked around an RBI-groundout in the sixth.
The Cougar offense came alive with five runs in the fourth. Shirer drew a bases-loaded walk before Strunc laid down a bunt single to bring home a run and Matheny added an RBI-single to right field. Stemp pushed the lead to 5-1 with a line-drive single back up the middle that scored two more.
McFadden followed with a perfect fifth before running into a little trouble to start the sixth inning. Northeastern used a pair of hits and an RBI-groundout to push one run across before McFadden ended the inning with a strikeout, preserving a 5-2 WSU lead.
Washington State got a run back in the sixth on Matheny's RBI-double to left centerfield in and later added another in the eighth on Matheny's third hit of the day, and RBI-single to center that scored Shirer. Relievers Scotty Sunitsch and Colby Nealy posted zeros over the final innings to seal up the 7-2 victory.
In game two, Northeastern again opened the game by bringing a run across in the first against freshman left-handed starter Ryley Widell. The Haiku, Hawaii native settled in after the first inning, striking out the side in the second and pitched scoreless third and fourth innings before giving way to the bullpen.
The Cougars evened things up in the third as Harrer started the inning with a bloop single to center and later came around to score on Matheny's groundout. WSU added another run in the fourth after Cameron Frost and Shirer each reached with bunt singles. Frost came home after and errant pickoff attempt from the Northeastern catcher hit frost and went into left field, allowing Frost to score and make it 2-1.
Washington State blew things open with a six-run fifth inning, using six hits, four stolen bases and a pair of Northeastern errors to build an 8-1 advantage. In the inning, Frost singled home a run, Hatten followed with a line-drive two-run single to centerfield and Strunc scored on a passed ball. A couple youngsters came up with big hits as Harrer pulled a single to left to plate a run and freshman Ty Johnson brought home the final run with a sacrifice fly to right field.
After reliever Davis Baillie threw one pitch to the first hitter in the top of the sixth, play was suspended to lightning and eventually called due to weather.
Stemp finished game two with three hits and stolen base, Frost tallied two hits and scored twice while Shirer and Harrer each recorded two hits. The Cougars stole five games in the shortened game, two by Harrer. Widell earned his first career win after allowing just one earned run while striking out four in four innings and freshman Kevin Calderhead picked up his first career save after entering the one-run game in in the fifth and pitching a scoreless frame.
WSU opens Pac-12 Conference play next weekend at UCLA, both Friday and Sunday's games will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
