TUCSON, Ariz. – Washington State scored five runs in the first inning and senior reliever Ryan Walker retired all eight batters he faced to close out a 5-4 win over Arizona at Hi Corbett Field Saturday evening. The rubber game is set for 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
 
Washington State (5-13, 1-4 Pac-12 ) collected 12 hits, senior starter Scotty Sunitsch earned with win after working five innings and allowed two runs, just one earned on six hits. Walker was impressive, retiring all eight batters he faced, five via strikeout in 2.2 innings to record his second save. Dillon Plew, James Rudkin, Blake Clanton and JJ Hancock each recorded two-hit games and Robert Teel's two-run single in the first inning proved to be the difference. Arizona dropped to 12-10 overall and 1-4 Pac-12 play.
 
The Cougars opened the game with a five-run first inning. Plew got things going with a single back up the middle and Rudkin followed with a line drive single into right field. Harrer stayed hot, driving a 2-0 pitch the other way and short-hopped the right field wall that scored Plew. Clanton followed with an infield-single to first base that scored Rudkin and designated hitter Ryan Ramsower later added a perfectly placed bunt resulted in nobody covering first base for a bunt single, loading the bases with one out. Hancock was hit by a pitch that forced in a run. One batter later, catcher Teel lined a two-out single into left centerfield to score to more and pushed the lead to 5-0. It was the most runs scored in the first inning by the Cougars since scoring six last season against Utah Valley.
 
In Arizona's half of the first inning, the Wildcats used a hit-by-pitch and three singles to score two runs.
 
Sunitsch worked out of a couple jams but kept Arizona off the board over the next four innings, leaving the bases loaded in the second and stranded a pair of runners to end the fourth inning.
 
Freshman reliever Hayden Rosenkrantz worked a scoreless sixth but ran into trouble in the seventh inning. Arizona loaded the bases with nobody out and caught a break as a ground ball to the right side was knocked down by the diving first baseman James Rudkin but his toss to the covering Rosenkrantz went wide, allowing a second run to score, cutting the Cougar lead to 5-4.
 
With the bases loaded and nobody out, WSU called upon freshman lefthander Michael Newstrom who got the Wildcat lefthanded hitter to pop out to Alvarez at shortstop for the first out. The Cougars called up senior reliever Ryan Walker who struck out a Wildcat pinch-hitter and ended the inning by fielding a comebacker and tossed to first for the final out, stranding all three Arizona baserunners and preserved the 5-4 WSU lead.
 
In the ninth, the Cougars loaded the bases after singles from Plew, Rudkin and an intentional walk to Clanton but Arizona ended the threat with a pair of strikeouts.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Walker dominated, striking out the Wildcats 4-5-6 hitters to close out the 5-4 victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Harrer has hit safely in 7-straight games
Plew recorded two hits for the second straight game
WSU's five 1^st-inning runs were the most 1^st-inning runs since scoring 6 against Utah Valley last season
 
NEXT UP
The series at Arizona concludes Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

TOP MOMENTS

VIDEO - Robert Teel delivers a 2-out 2-run single as part of a 5-run 1st!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/1wcly92dUx
— WSU Baseball (@Cougbaseball) March 25, 2018

VIDEO - He does it again! Jack Smith makes another nifty sliding pick up the middle and fires to Rudkin at 1st to end the 6th!

5-2 Cougs#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/46oI3e61yP
— WSU Baseball (@Cougbaseball) March 25, 2018

VIDEO - Ryan Walker ends the game with 3 strikeouts in the 9th! Cougs beat Arizona 5-4#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/SeQBKAMxmr
— WSU Baseball (@Cougbaseball) March 25, 2018