Cougars Use Six-run Eighth Inning For Comeback Win

Sunday, February 24

Santa Clara, CA

12:00 PM

Washington State University

2-6

Santa Clara

2-5

Washington State

Santa Clara

February 24, 2019 | Baseball

Box Score 19WSU at Santa Clara BOX 4

By: Washington State Athletic Communications

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Washington State used a six-run eighth inning to post a 10-6 victory over Santa Clara Sunday, splitting the series 2-2.

Freshmen led the way for the Cougars (2-6) as designated hitter Kyle Manzardo recorded four hit and drove in three runs while fellow freshman third baseman and high school teammate Kodie Kolden added three hits and three RBI. Freshman Tyson Guerrero came off the bench to play centerfield in the seventh, singled and walked and came in to close things out in the ninth.

Senior catcher Rob Teel singled home the go-ahead runs in the seventh inning.

In the second inning, Manzardo got the inning going by punching a two-strike pitch the other way down the left field line for a double and later came home on Garrett Gouldsmith's RBI-single into right centerfield for a 1-0 advantage.

In the bottom half of the inning, Santa Clara used a leadoff double, a balk and a squeeze bunt to even things at 1-1. Later in the inning, the Broncos took a 2-1 lead with a two-out RBI-single through the right side.

In the third inning, Sinatro pulled a single to right field and later scored on Manzardo's opposite field RBI-double into left centerfield that tied the game at two. In the bottom of the inning, SCU opened the inning back-to-back home runs to left field for a 4-2 advantage.

In the fourth inning, the Cougars loaded the bases with one out but Santa Clara ended the threat with a 4-6-3 double play. WSU put one on the board in the fifth inning as Sinatro was hit by a pitch and Andres Alvarez singled to right before Manzardo brought home Sinatro with a sacrifice fly to right field. SCU limited the inning by getting a pair of flyouts, stranding a pair of runners and preserving a 4-3 advantage.

In the seventh, Collin Montez pulled a one-out double just inside the first base bag and down the right field line for a double. A walk and a wild pitch put runners on second and third for Kolden who singled back up the middle to score Montez but the second runner was thrown out by the shortstop who had made a diving stop deep up the middle and fired home to get the second runner and kept it 4-4.

Santa Clara opened their half of the seventh with a solo homer to left, their third solo shot of the game for a 5-4 advantage.

In the eighth, Plew led off with walk and Guerrero followed with a two-strike single into center after taking over in centerfield for Sinatro who was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the seventh. Alvarez followed with a bunt that Santa Clara couldn't make a play on, loading the bases with nobody out. Manzardo stepped in a pulled a single through the right side for a game-tying RBI-single and Teel delivered a go-ahead two-run single to left field for a 7-5 advantage. One batter later, Kolden doubled off the third base bag that scored two and Brody Barnum followed with a one-out squeeze bunt for a 10-5 Cougar lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, Santa Clara used a pair of singles around a wild pitch to push one run across, cutting the WSU lead to 10-6.

In the ninth, the first two SCU hitters singled and the Cougars called in centerfielder Tyson Guerrero to pitch with runners on the corners and nobody out. The freshman lefthander clinched the win and his first career save by getting a popout, a strikeout and a fly out.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Gouldsmith's RBI-single in the 2^nd gave him a hit in all 4 games of the series
Danny Sinatro singled in the 3^rd inning, extending his on-base streak to 7 straight games
Manzardo recorded a season high 4 hits and 3 RBI
Kodie Kolden recorded a season high 3 hits and 3 RBI
Alvarez singled in the 5^th to extend his hitting streak to 5 straight games
Connor Barison struck out the only batter he faced in the 7^th
Davis Baillie struck out both batters he faced to end the 7^th, earned the win
Dillon Plew walked in the 8^th, has reached base in all 8 games
Tyson Guerrero singled in the 8^th for his first career hit, struck out 1 in the 9^th for 1^st career save
Hayden Rosenkrantz starter, ND, 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 K, 1 BB

NEXT UP
The Cougars will return to Pullman for a four-game series with Nevada beginning Thursday at 6 p.m.

TOP MOMENTS

Manzo delivers again! The freshman @KyleTMazardo drives an RBI-double to tie the game at 2-2 in the 3rd!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/QTVMakj0J4
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 24, 2019

WEB GEM alert from @KodieKolden in the 3rd! Pretty backhand stab and throw!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/cI1jQJ12pZ
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 24, 2019

Couple nice defensive plays by the Cougs in the 6th as @LilPlewy22 makes this pretty double play and catcher Rob Teel ends the inning by backpicking the runner at 1st!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/x2FjmIfa0O
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 24, 2019

Congrats to Tyson Guerrero who singles in the 8th for his 1st career hit and its a big one! 1st and 2nd with nobody out in the 8th!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/uBJZ71h0FB
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 24, 2019

SCU zoos an Alvarez bunt and that loads the bases for who? 

Kyle. Manzardo. and he ties the game with a an RBI single, his 3rd hit of the game!

T8, 5-5#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/WVfXmO5fXQ
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 24, 2019

And Rob Teel delivers a 2-run single to left for a 7-5 Coug lead in the 8th!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/rANaoNOarg
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 24, 2019

One batter later, @KodieKolden delivers again with a 2-run double!

T8, 9-5 Cougs#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/CuxpX9CsE3
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 24, 2019

SQUEEZE!!! The big fella @brody_barnum executes the squeeze bunt to make it 10-5 in the 8th!#GoCougs pic.twitter.com/0MLrNTwsP2
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 24, 2019

BALL GAME! 

Guerrero gets a flyout to Montez in CF and Guerrero picks up the save! Big time moment for the talented freshman Tyson Guerrero!

Cougs win 10-6!#GoCougs
— Washington State Baseball (@Cougbaseball) February 24, 2019