PULLMAN, Wash. – For the second straight game, Washington State scored the game-winning run in extra innings to beat Arizona State.
Danny Sinatro singled home
JJ Hancock in the 11
th inning to post a 4-3 victory at Bailey-Brayton Field Friday evening. The Cougars used a walk-off home run from
Justin Harrer in the 10
th inning to win Thursday's opener.
WSU (7-14, 3-5 Pac-12) collected 11 hits and received an impressive starting pitching performance from senior
Scotty Sunitsch who set career-highs with 7.2 innings and seven strikeouts. Sunitsch allowed three earned runs on seven hits and walked just one. Four Cougars recorded multiple-hit games including Sinatro who's game-winner clinched WSU's first series win over Arizona State since 2013 and first series win over ASU in Pullman since 2010. ASU dropped to 12-14 overall and 4-4 in conference play.
Arizona State used a first-inning solo homer for a 1-0 lead but the Cougars answered with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Andres Alavarez led off with a single back up the middle and
Dillon Plew punched a single through the left side. Following a double play, Clanton stepped in and drove a pitch the other way into the left centerfield game for an RBI-triple.
Wyatt Segle followed with a single the other way into right field to score Clanton for a 2-1 advantage.
Both starting pitchers settled and posted zeros until the sixth. In the top half of the sixth, ASU used a walk and pair of base hits to push one run across, tying the game at 2-2.
In the bottom of the inning, Harrer was hit by a pitch and one batter later, Segle lined a single into right field to put runners on first and second. Hancock followed with a two-out single the other way into left field to score Harrer for a 3-2 lead.
Sunitsch fired a scoreless seventh after ending the inning with a pair of strikeouts. In the eighth, ASU opened the inning with a solo homer to right field, tying the game 3-3. In the bottom of the inning, Segle worked a one-out walk and Hancock followed by beating out an infield single to put runners on first and second with one out. Following an ASU pitching change, the Cougars called upon a pinch hitter who grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
In the ninth inning, ASU had a runner on first with two outs. The Sun Devils blooped a single down the right field line and the runner at first tried to score on that play but the rightfielder Hancock fired home to the get runner the plate.
In the 11
th inning, Hancock drew a walk to start the inning and was bunted up to the second on a sacrifice bunt.
Robert Teel was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with out for Sinatro who lined a 2-1 pitch into centerfield that scored Hancock for the 4-3 win.
Freshman reliever
Michael Newstrom earned his first career win after entering the game with two outs in the 11
th inning and striking out the only two hitters he faced.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
WSU recorded back-to-back walk-off wins for the first time since doing so against Oregon last season
WSU played back-to-back extra-inning games for the first time since 2015, Oregon (10 Inn) and Arizona (11 Inn).
Nick Strange worked a scoreless inning for relief
Isaac Mullins fired a scoreless 10
th inning
Collin Maier retired the only hitter he faced to start the 11
th inning
NEXT UP
The series wraps up Saturday at Noon on the Pac-12 Network.
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