Box Score
 
PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State jumped out to an early lead and used a couple late-inning home runs to post a 6-4 victory over Cal State Northridge at Bailey-Brayton Field Monday afternoon. The Cougars improved to 14-8 overall after taking three of the four games with the Matadors (12-13).
 
WSU received two-hit games from Danny Sinatro, James Rudkin and Blake Clanton while Clanton and J.J. Hancock each hit solo home runs. Washington State owns a 10-1 home record, matching the 1988 team that went to post a 22-1 mark at Bailey-Brayton Field.
 
The Cougars jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. Sinatro led off the inning with a base-hit through the left side, was bunted to second and moved to third base on a passed ball before scoring on Shane Matheny's RBI-single back up the middle. Hancock later walked and Clanton pulled a single through the right side to score Matheny.
 
In the third, Ryan Ramsower went the opposite way for a double down the right field line to start the inning. He later moved to third before Rudkin lined a two-out single to right field to score Ramsower for a 3-0 lead.
 
Washington State added another run in the fourth inning on a squeeze play. Andres Alvarez and Dugan Shirer both walked to start the inning and were moved up a base following a sacrifice bunt from Cal Waterman. Sinatro put down a squeeze bunt that he legged out at first and allowed Alvarez to score for a 4-0 advantage.
 
The Matadors got a run back in the fifth with a sacrifice fly and added another with an RBI-triple in the sixth to cut the Cougar lead to 4-2. In the bottom half of the sixth, Clanton pushed the lead back up to three with a solo homer to right field, a no-doubter off the bat for his second home run of the season.
 
CSUN cut into the Cougar lead once again in the eighth inning as three hits including back-to-back doubles off the wall in right and left field, respectively, made it a 5-4 game.
 
Hancock gave WSU breathing room in the eighth, hammering a 2-0 pitch over the wall in right-centerfield for a solo homer and a 6-4 lead. Rudkin then pulled a single through the left side, Clanton was hit by a pitch and Alvarez walked to load the bases but CSUN was able to keep the Cougars off the board by getting the force out at home after getting a ground ball and then ended an inning with a groundball double play.
 
Sunitsch worked a perfect ninth inning to seal up the win. Freshman starter A.J. Block was solid once again, striking out four and allowed just one earned run on two hits 4.2 innings. Junior reliever Colby Nealy picked up the win after working 2.1 innings before Sunitsch pitched the final two innings to record his seventh save.
 
Washington State will resume Pac-12 Conference play with a three-game series at California beginning Friday.
 
GAME NOTES…James Rudkin has reached base in 19 straight games.