LONG BEACH, Calif. – Washington State dropped a nonconference game 5-1 to Long Beach State at Blair Field Wednesday evening. Senior first baseman James Rudkin had a two-out RBI-single for the Cougars who open Pac-12 Conference play Friday at No. 14 UCLA.
Long Beach State the reigning Big West Conference champions improved to 6-11 on the season while WSU dropped to 4-9. The Dirtbags beat the Cougars 8-7 last season in Long Beach behind a ninth-inning walkoff RBI-single.
In the first inning, LBSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind a pair of two-out singles off of Cougar starter A.J. Block. The sophomore lefthander settled down and struck out two and picked off another in a scoreless second inning.
In the fifth inning, the Dirtbags pushed the lead to 4-0 after a two-out bloop double landed on the right field line to score a runner from first.
The Cougars got on the board in the seventh as Harrer beat out an infield single to third base and later scored on a two-out RBI-single from Rudkin into left field, cutting the LBSU lead to 4-1.
Long Beach State answered the Cougars with a run of their own in the bottom of the seventh, pushing the lead to 5-1 with a two-out RBI-single into left field.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
WSU used seven pitchers (Block, Barnum, Newstrom, Maier, Moyle, McFadden, Orlando)
Jack Smith singled back up the middle in the 4th, he's now hit safely in 9 of his last 10 games
A.J. Block started, L, 2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 K
NEXT UP
The Cougars will continue their southern California road trip by opening Pac-12 Conference play at No. 14 UCLA Friday.
Long Beach State the reigning Big West Conference champions improved to 6-11 on the season while WSU dropped to 4-9. The Dirtbags beat the Cougars 8-7 last season in Long Beach behind a ninth-inning walkoff RBI-single.
In the first inning, LBSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind a pair of two-out singles off of Cougar starter A.J. Block. The sophomore lefthander settled down and struck out two and picked off another in a scoreless second inning.
In the fifth inning, the Dirtbags pushed the lead to 4-0 after a two-out bloop double landed on the right field line to score a runner from first.
The Cougars got on the board in the seventh as Harrer beat out an infield single to third base and later scored on a two-out RBI-single from Rudkin into left field, cutting the LBSU lead to 4-1.
Long Beach State answered the Cougars with a run of their own in the bottom of the seventh, pushing the lead to 5-1 with a two-out RBI-single into left field.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
WSU used seven pitchers (Block, Barnum, Newstrom, Maier, Moyle, McFadden, Orlando)
Jack Smith singled back up the middle in the 4th, he's now hit safely in 9 of his last 10 games
A.J. Block started, L, 2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 K
NEXT UP
The Cougars will continue their southern California road trip by opening Pac-12 Conference play at No. 14 UCLA Friday.