SALT LAKE CITY – Washington State clinched a Pac-12 Conference road series win over Utah with a 5-4 victory Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cougars (20-21, 6-12 Pac-12) scored twice in the third and sixth innings before adding another run in the seventh and saw sophomore reliever Parker McFadden strike out the final Utah hitter to seal up the one-run victory. WSU received two-hit games from sophomore shortstop Andres Alvarez and freshman centerfielder Danny Sinatro, freshman catcher Cal Waterman delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth and sophomore left fielder Justin Harrer drove in a run with a two-out double in the seventh.
 
Junior reliever Ryan Walker earned the win after allowing just one earned run in 4.1 innings and freshman lefthander A.J. Block struck out the only batter he faced for the second out in the ninth. Utah, the defending Pac-12 champions, dropped to 19-19 overall and 9-12 in conference play.
 
Utah struck first, using a triple and a groundout to take a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Cougar offense got going in the third as Sinatro got things going with a line drive single the other way into left field. Sinatro moved to second on a bunt and Alvarez followed with an infield single to shortstop to put runners on the corners. Dillon Plew drove in Sinatro with a double down the right field line and junior third baseman Shane Matheny followed with a RBI groundout to first base that saw Alvarez score on the play.
 
The Utes got to Cougar starting pitcher Cody Anderson in the fourth inning, using three straight singles, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to center to push two runs across in the frame for a 3-2 advantage.
 
Washington State took the lead in the sixth inning after JJ Hancock muscled a single to right field, Harrer walked and Ryan Ramsower beat out a bunt to load the bases. One batter later, Waterman pulled a 1-1 pitch into the left field corner for a two-run double, giving WSU the lead once again.
 
WSU tacked on another run in the seventh as Matheny tripled off the wall in right to start the inning and later scored as Harrer came through with a big hit, doubling to left center with two outs to push the Cougar lead to 5-3.
 
Utah made it a one-run game in the seventh with a double, a fielder's choice that saw the runner move to third before coming home on a ground out to make it 5-4.
 
In the ninth, Walker retired the first hitter with a groundout to shortstop but the next batter singled to right. The Cougars called upon the lefthander Block who struck out the Utes left-handed hitter and McFadden came and got the final out with a strikeout.
 
The Cougars return home to host Oregon beginning Friday at 5 p.m.