PULLMAN, Wash. (April 7, 2023) – Washington State dropped a 6-2 decision to No. 16 Arizona State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium Friday evening.
 
WSU (18-11, 5-8 Pac-12) scored twice in the fifth to take a 2-0 lead but the Sun Devils (22-9, 9-2 Pac-12) evened things with a two-run homer in the fifth and took the lead with a solo homer in the sixth. The Cougars threatened throughout the evening but the ASU pitching staff kept them off balance as WSU stranded 10 runners on base.
 
Washington State starter Caden Kaelber struck out four over five innings, Jacob McKeon went 3-for-3 with two walks, Sam Brown walked three times and Jake Harvey collected two hits.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the fourth, McKeon led off the inning with a double to right-centerfield and Brown followed with walk and both moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt but ASU ended the threat with a pair of called strikeouts.
 
In the fifth, Harvey lined a double over the Sun Devil first baseman and later moved to third  before Kyle Russell lined the first pitch he saw into left field for a two-out RBI-single and a 1-0 lead. WSU loaded the bases later in the inning, chasing the ASU starter from the game and pushed the lead to 2-0 after Elijah Hainline worked a bases-loaded walk. The Sun Devils evened things up with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth.
 
In the sixth, WSU again put runners on base but left a runner on third to end the frame. ASU led off their half of the inning with a go-ahead solo homer to right field.
 
WSU again threatened in the seventh after McKeon singled and Brown walked but ASU ended the rally with a called strike three and a fly out to left. ASU pulled away with three runs in the eighth.
 
NEXT UP
The series wraps up Saturday at 12:30 p.m.