PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State dropped the opener of a four-game series with Utah Valley University 8-0 at Bailey-Brayton Field Thursday night.

Washington State (3-6) received a solid outing from starting pitcher Ian Hamilton who struck out six, surrendered four hits, allowed four runs but just one earned, over a career-best 6.1 innings. Senior Patrick McGrath led the Cougars with two hits and redshirt-junior Trek Stemp recorded one hit and stole a base.

Stemp led off the game for WSU with a single through the left side and later stole second but was stranded at third. Utah Valley (5-5) collected seven hits on the night but took advantage of three WSU errors in the third to score three runs in the inning.  The Cougars put runners in scoring position in the fourth as Wes Leow walked and Jack Strunc was hit by a pitch and both moved up to second and third, respectively, but UVU ended the threat with a strikeout.

Washington State came right back with another rally in the fifth as Stefan Van Horn started the inning with a walk and Dugan Shirer followed with an opposite-field single to left. UVU starting pitcher Danny Beddes buckled down to get a strikeout and ended the inning with a double play. Beddes scattered three hits and registered four strikeouts over six innings.

The Wolverines tacked on a run in the seventh before using three hits and pair of wild pitches to scored four more times in the eighth for an 8-0 advantage.

GAME NOTES…Stemp tallied one hit to extend his hitting streak to nine games…freshman reliever Kevin Calderhead pitched a scoreless ninth for WSU, his third-straight scoreless outing…LHP Jackson Cofer (UVU) and RHP Ryan Ward (WSU) are the scheduled starters for Friday's game two of series…first pitch is set for 4 p.m.