Washington State University Athletics
WSU Drops Series Finale, Take Series at No. 14 Washington
May 15, 2016 | Baseball
SEATTLE – Washington State dropped the series-finale 6-4 at No. 14 University of Washington Sunday afternoon.
The Cougars (17-29, 10-17 Pac-12) won the first two games of the series to claim the series against the Huskies (28-18, 14-10 Pac-12) for the second straight season and notch the first series win in Seattle since 2004. Senior Patrick McGrath notched two hits, scored twice and drove in a run while Stefan Van Horn also drove in two. Washington used a three-run sixth inning to erase a 4-2 Cougar lead.
The Cougars jumped all over Husky starter Ryan Schmitten as Justin Harrer led off the game with single to left and later scored on Shane Matheny's double to right centerfield. Matheny tallied his seventh hit of the series after winning a 12-pitch at-bat with the UW right-hander. McGrath followed by pulling a pitch by the UW third baseman and down the left field line for an RBI-double and later came home on a Van Horn sacrifice fly deep to left field for a 3-0 lead.
Washington cut it to 3-2 with a two-run double to right field in the third as the throw to the plate was just behind the second runner on the play.
In the fifth, Washington State threatened again as the first two runners reached on a walk and a dropped popup. Both runners were bunted up to second and third but Washington ended the innings with a pair of strikeouts. The Cougars came right back with the first two hitters reaching to start the fifth as McGrath singled back up the middle and J.J. Hancock reached on catcher's interference. Following a sacrifice bunt from Weston Hatten, Van Horn picked up his second RBI of the game with a groundout to second, allowing McGrath to trot home for a 4-2 advantage.
The Huskies took advantage of a WSU miscue as a fielding error put the leadoff man in to start the sixth and the next batter lined a pitch over the left field fence to tie the game at 4-4. UW then used a walk, a single, a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score a run and a take a 5-4 advantage.
Sunitsch allowed three earned runs on six hits and struck out five in 5.1 innings while reliever Colby Nealy took the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the sixth. Washington reliever Greg Minier earned the win with 2.1 scoreless innings and Troy Rallings recorded a three-inning save.
GAME NOTES…WSU recorded its first road series win of the season and handed UW its first home series loss this season…the Cougars will head to Pasco, Wash. to host a Tuesday night matchup against Gonzaga University at 6:30 p.m.
