PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State dropped game two of the series with Utah 9-3 at Bailey-Brayton Field Friday afternoon. The rubber game of the series is set for Saturday at Noon on the Pac-12 Network. Prior to the game Saturday, nine Cougar seniors will be recognized.
 
WSU (16-32-1, 8-20-1 Pac-12) received two hits and two RBI from JJ Hancock. Utah (15-39, 7-22 Pac-12) rallied from a 2-1 run deficit with three runs in the seventh, three more in the eighth and added two more in the ninth to even the series.
 
In the first inning, Dillon Plew drew one-out walk and James Rudkin followed with single to left field before Justin Harrer singled to centerfield and JJ Hancock followed with an RBI-single back up the middle for a 2-0 Cougar lead.
 
In the third, Utah used a one-out solo home run to left field that cut the WSU lead to 2-1.
 
Both starting pitchers settled in before Utah got to Sunitsch in the seventh inning. The Utes used four hits in the inning to push three runs across for a 4-2 advantage. In the eighth, Utah used a single, walk, an error and a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2 and added two more runs with a single and sac fly for a 7-2 advantage.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, the Cougars used a pair of singles from Plew and Blake Clanton before Hancock pulled a single through the right side to score Plew. With runners on first and second, the Utah bullpen kept the lead at 7-3 with a strikeout. Utah added two more runs in the ninth before sealing up the 9-3 win with a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Blake Clanton singled to shortstop in the 8^th, extending his on-base streak to 14 games
Danny Sinatro stole his team-leading 9^th base of the season
Scotty Sunitsch made his 85^th career appearance, 4^th-most in WSU history
Sunitsch worked 6.2 innings, allowed 4 runs and struck out 8
 
COMING UP
The series wraps up Saturday at Noon on the Pac-12 Network.