PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State banged out 17 hits and pitchers Ryan Ward and Ryan Walker combined for 14 strikeouts in a 10-1 victory over Utah Valley in front of 1,365 fans at Bailey-Brayton Field Friday evening.

Ward, a freshman from Hood River, Ore., was impressive his first home start, striking out eight and allowed one earned run on four hits in five innings to pick up his first career win. Walker was equally as dominant, striking out six over four scoreless innings to pick up his first save of the season.

Offensively, Derek Chapman led way going 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Six Cougars recorded multiple hits and Cameron Frost hit his second home run of the season, a three-run shot in the fifth. Patrick McGrath also drove in three runs and the top two hitters of the WSU lineup, Trek Stemp and Jack Strunc, each scored twice.

The Cougars picked up a run in the first inning as Stemp led off with an opposite-field double down the right field line and moved over to third after a Strunc sacrifice bunt. McGrath came through with a two-out RBI-single up the middle to score Stemp.

Utah Valley pushed a run across in the third off of Ward but the right-hander ended the inning with a pair of strikeouts. In the bottom half, WSU plated two runs as Chapman started the inning by beating out an infield single and Stemp reached on an error. One batter later, Hatten pulled a pitch down the leftfield line for a double that scored Chapman and McGrath followed with an RBI-groundout that scored Stemp for a 3-1 advantage.

The Cougars added a run in the fourth as Chapman singled through the right side to score Shane Matheny who had reached with a two-out single. WSU pulled away in the fifth as Strunc started the inning with a single. McGrath reached after getting hit by the pitch and Frost followed with a three-run homer to the left field.

Washington State added another run in the sixth with an RBI-single to left field by McGrath and Strunc brought home another run in the seventh with a single to center that scored Chapman who started the inning with a double. The Cougars added one more in the eighth as pinch-hitter Mason Cerrillo tripled to right center and later came home on a Stefan Van Horn's single.

Walker took over for Ward to start the sixth and cruised, retiring six straight at one point before sealing up the win in the ninth with two more strikeouts.

Utah Valley starting pitcher Jackson Cofer suffered the loss after allowing seven runs, five earned in 4.1 innings.

GAME NOTES…Stemp tallied one hit to extend his hitting streak to 10 games…RHP Kaden Schmitt (UVU) and RHP Parker McFadden (WSU) are the scheduled starters for Saturday's game three of series…first pitch is set for 2 p.m.

--wsucougars.com--