HONOLULU (February 18, 2022) –
Jake Meyer hit a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning and Washington State beat Hawaii 5-4 in the season-opener at Les Murakami Stadium Friday evening.
The Cougars received a three-hit game from
Kyle Russell, a two-run homer from
Bryce Matthews and the bullpen allowed just one run over the final 7.1 innings to give WSU their third-straight season-opening win for the first time since 2004-06.
Collin Montez reached base four times while righthander
Tyler Hoeft earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief and righthander
Connor Barison closed it out with a scoreless ninth to earn the save.
Hawaii jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a run in the first and two runs in the second but surrendered the lead despite being walked 11 times.
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the first inning,
Collin Montez worked a walk and stole second but was stranded to end the frame. Hawaii followed with a run in their half of the inning after taking advantage of four walks and an error.
Hawaii added two more runs in the second inning after three hits and a pair of walks for a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, Montez lined a single to center and later scored on
Justin Van De Brake's RBI-double to right-centerfield. Matthews followed with a two-run shot over the wall in right-centerfield for his first career homer, tying the game at three. Hawaii answered with a one-out double down the right field line to regain a 4-3 lead.
In the sixth,
Jacob McKeon got things going with a single to left field and
Jake Meyer followed with an opposite-field double down the right field line to put runners on second and third. Russell dug in and punched an 0-2 pitch the other way into right field to score McKeon as the tying run. The Cougars later loaded the bases but Hawaii ended the threat with a strikeout and a deep flyout to right field.
In the eighth, Meyer came up big for the Cougs, driving a 3-1 pitch the other way over the right field wall for a solo homer and 5-4 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Hawaii put a runner on second with one out but Cougar reliever
Cam Liss picked him off and retired the next batter to preserve the one-run lead.
In the ninth, Barison allowed runners on first and second with two outs but closed things out with a groundout to first base for the final out.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Montez walked and stole second in the 1
st inning, his 12
th career stolen base and 1
st since 2020
Russell matched a career high with 3 hits, his fourth-career 3-hit game and sixth career multiple-hit game in 21 career games played
NEXT UP
The series continues Saturday at 8:35 p.m. (PT).
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