SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Washington State brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning but the Santa Clara bullpen held off the late rally for a 4-2 win Friday evening. The series is tied 1-1 after the Cougars claimed Thursday's series-opener 10-0.
 
Andres Alvarez and Garrett Gouldsmith each recorded two hits and Kyle Manzardo had a two-run double. The Cougars left nine men on base throughout the game including runners on second and third in the seventh and a runner on second in the ninth.
 
In the first inning, the Cougars caught a break as the Santa Clara right fielder lost an Alvarez fly ball in the twilight sky, allowing the ball to fall for a double. Collin Montez followed with a walk and Manzardo delivered a two-out two-run double over the head of the Bronco centerfielder for a 2-0 advantage.
 
In the bottom half, Santa Clara pushed a run across on a sacrifice fly and later evened things up after the Cougars committed an error on a slowly hit ball in the infield, allowing the SCU baserunner for third to come across.
 
In the third inning, the Broncos used a leadoff double and a bloop single down the right field line to push one run across and later an infield single scored another run for a 4-2 advantage, chasing Cougar lefthanded start Ky Bush along the way.
 
In the seventh, Dillon Plew was hit by a pitch and Danny Sinatro drew a walk to put two runners on with one out but the Santa Clara bullpen ended the threat with a ground out and fly out.
 
In the ninth, Gouldsmith led off the inning with a double to right field but SCU turned away the ninth-inning rally with a strike out, ground out and foul out for the 4-2 win.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Brody Barnum singled in the 2^nd inning, extending on-base streak to five straight games
Ky Bush struck out the first batter he faced for his first career strikeout
Bush took the loss, 2.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Davis Baillie worked two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, 2 K, 1 H
Tyson Guerrero worked 1.1 scoreless innings out of bullpen, 0 H, 3 K
Dillon Plew was hit by a pitch in the 7^th, has reached base in all 6 games in 2018
Michael Newstrom struck out the only batter he faced to start the 7th
 
 
NEXT UP
The Cougars continue their series at Santa Clara with a single game Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
TOP MOMENTS

Cougs catch a couple breaks in the 1st as an SCU outfielder loses the ball in the twilight and @KyleTMazardo delivers a 2-out 2-run double for a 2-0 lead#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/H8tzsEbAC5
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 23, 2019

The young lefthander Tyson Guerrero bringing the energy out of the pen, fires a 1-2-3 6th inning with a pair of strikeouts!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/SHSOpSyzhJ
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 23, 2019

Barison ends the 8th with a strikeout, stranding a runner on 3rd, big moment by the freshman

We head to the 9th, 4-2 SCU
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 23, 2019