PULLMAN, Wash. –
JJ Hancock's 10
th-inning walkoff RBI-single gave Washington State a 4-3 win in game two of a doubleheader with California at Bailey-Brayton Field Saturday. The Golden Bears took the first game 6-3.
GAME 1 RECAP
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after
JJ Hancock scored on
Robert Teel's fielder's choice ground ball. WSU starter
Hayden Rosenkrantz cruised through the first couple innings before allowing a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the third inning and four runs on five hits in the fourth inning.
In the sixth inning, WSU pushed one run across after back-to-back doubles by
Blake Clanton and Teel to cut the Cal lead to 5-2.
In the seventh, the Cougars added another run as Alvarez led off the inning with a double to right-centerfield and Hancock followed with a single to centerfield. Cal called upon its bullpen and induced a groundball double play that saw Alvarez score on and retired the following hitter with a ground out to third base, keeping the game 5-3.
In the eighth, WSU opened the bottom of the inning with a single from Teel to right centerfield and an opposite-field single down the left field line by
Collin Montez. The Cal reliever kept the Cougars off the board after getting the lead runner at third base on a bunt, a foul out to third base and a ground out to preserve the 5-3 California advantage. The Golden Bears added another run in ninth inning on a sacrifice fly for a three-run lead and Cal closer Tanner Dodson pitched a scoreless ninth.
INSIDE THE GAME 1 BOX SCORE
JJ Hancock walked in the first inning to extend his on-base streak to 15 games
Hancock walked 3 times and singled
Justin Harrer and
Blake Clanton have each reached base in 6 straight games
Andres Alvarez doubled in the seventh inning, his team-leading 7
th double of the season
A.J. Block worked a 3.1 scoreless innings for relief, setting a career-high with 5 strikeouts
Both teams left 10 men on base
GAME 2 RECAP
In the third, Cal loaded the bases and pushed one run across on a bases-loaded walk but Cougar starter
Scotty Sunitsch ended the inning with a pair of strikeouts.
In the bottom of the third inning,
Dillon Plew pulled a single through the right side and
Cal Waterman followed with a double into the right-centerfield gap to score Plew and tied things up at one.
Sunitsch settled in and worked through six innings, striking out seven along the way. Sunitsch gave way to senior
Ryan Walker who started the seventh where Cal used a triple, a walk,0 a stolen base and a two-out single into centerfield gave the Golden Bears a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh,
James Rudkin doubled to right centerfield and
Dillon Plew followed with a walk. Pinch-hitter
Robert Teel drew a walk to load the bases and Cal struck out the next hitter before Alvarez dug in and singled back up the middle to score Plew as the tying run. Teel also tried to score from second but was thrown out at the plate on a nice throw from the centerfielder to keep the game tied 3-3.
Walker stranded a pair of runners to end the ninth inning and worked to leave the bases loaded in the tenth inning before Hancock won it in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Alvarez pulled a doubled just inside the third base bag and down the left field line and Hancock lined the first pitch into right center and Alvarez raced around to score the game-winner.
Sunitsch went six innings, allowed one run on five hits, walked two, hit four and struck out seven after no-hitting Oregon last Sunday. Walker earned his 12th career relief victory after working the final four innings, allowing two runs in the seventh.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Starter
Scotty Sunitsch made his 79
th career appearance, 3
rd-most in WSU history
JJ Hancock beat out an infield single to third base in the 6
th, has reached base in 16 straight games
Hancock finished with 2 hits and an RBI
Andres Alvarez had 2 hits, drove in the tying run in the 7
th and scored the game-winner in the 10th
Reliever
Ryan Walker made his 76
th career appearance, 5
th-most in WSU history
NEXT UP
Washington State will head to Spokane for a Tuesday night contest against Gonzaga.
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