PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State received two home runs from Blake Clanton and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning but USC held on for an 8-6 win in the series opener at Bailey-Brayton Field Friday evening.
 
WSU (14-26-1, 6-15-1 Pac-12) also received two-hit games from James Rudkin and Robert Teel. USC (22-22, 10-15 Pac-12) collected 12 hits and used a three-run sixth inning to tie the game and an RBI single in the eighth to take the lead before adding three more runs in the ninth.
 
In the fourth, USC used a leadoff double and a pair of groundouts to take a 1-0 lead. The Cougars answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs. Rudkin and Danny Sinatro each drew one-out walks before Teel pulled the first he saw off the left field wall to score two for a 2-1 Cougar lead. On the play, the umpires initially ruled it a home run but met and changed the call to a double.
 
In the fifth, Clanton hit a long solo homer to right field and JJ Hancock followed with a walk before Rudkin doubled him home for a 4-1 Cougar advantage.
 
In the sixth, USC took advantage of a pair of walks and followed with a double and two-run single to push three runs across and tie the game 4-4.
 
In the eighth, the Trojans uses a leadoff double to right centerfield and a sacrifice bunt before a one-out RBI-single through the left side gave USC a 5-4 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Rudkin led off the inning with a bloop single the other way down the right field line. WSU then tried to bunt him up to second but USC made quick play to grab the bunt and fire to second to get Rudkin for the first out. One batter later, Sinatro stole second and throw hit his helmet and shot into left field, allowing Sinatro to move to third base with two outs but the USC bullpen ended the threat with a strikeout.
 
In the ninth, USC added three runs after a pair of walks, a hit-by-pitch, an infield single, a two-run single and wild pitch for an 8-4 advantage.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Dill Plew led off the inning with a single to centerfield and two batters later Clanton pulled a 1-1 pitch over the right field wall to cut the USC lead to 8-6. Hancock followed with a walk that brought the tying run to the plate in Rudkin who drove a pitch deep to right field but the USC right fielder was there to make the catch for the final out.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Robert Teel singled to right field in the second inning, extending his on-base streak to 8 games
Cougar starter Hayden Rosenkrantz went 4 IP, allowed 1 R, 4 H, 1 K, no decision
45 minute lightning/rain delay with one out in the top of the 5^th
Ryan Walker made his 82^nd career appearance, tying Scotty Sunitsch for 3^rd-most in WSU history
Clanton recorded WSU's first 2-HR game since Ian Sagdal hit two against Washington in 2015

TOP MOMENTS

First called a homer, later ruled a double. Robert Teel doubles off the wall in left field to score two!

B4, 2-1 Cougs!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/Pl3j8h6HAA

— WSU Baseball (@Cougbaseball) May 12, 2018

Blake Clanton homers to right to make it 3-1 Cougs in the 5th!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/FDV6HcTojs

— WSU Baseball (@Cougbaseball) May 12, 2018

James Rudkin makes it 4-1 Cougs with an RBI-double in the 5th!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/B9HBaDasgQ

— WSU Baseball (@Cougbaseball) May 12, 2018

Boom! Blake Clanton hits his 2nd long ball of the night! A 2-run shot makes it a two-run game in the 9th!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/aWJFhUn3yP

— WSU Baseball (@Cougbaseball) May 12, 2018

 
COMING UP
The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m.