BERKELEY, Calif. (May 14, 2023) – Shane Spencer struck out six in seven innings and Sam Brown homered twice as Washington State clinched the series with a 7-1 win over Cal at Evans Diamond Sunday afternoon.
 
WSU improved to 29-20 overall and 10-16 in Pac-12 Conference play, matching the most wins since the 2015 team won 29 games. The Cougars, who stole five bases Sunday, took two of three in 2021 and have won back-to-back series in Berkeley for the first time since 1999 and 2001. WSU scored in each of the first three innings for a 4-1 lead before adding two in the fifth and one in the sixth to clinch the series over Cal who dropped to 22-25 overall and 10-17 in conference play.
 
Spencer struck out seven, allowed just one earned run on five hits in seven innings and Brown hit a solo home run in the first and a two-run shot in the fifth, both to left-centerfield. Jonah Advincula collected two hits including his team-leading 20^th double of the season, the most by a Cougar since Jay Miller had 28 in 2006. Kyle Russell singled, walked twice and stole a base while Jacob McKeon stole two bags and Elijah Hainline had an RBI-single and a stole a base.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
Brown gave the Cougars an early 1-0 lead with an opposite-field solo home run to left field in the first inning. WSU added another run in the second on a squeeze bunt by Kyle Russell that scored Elijah Hainline. In the third, Advincula led off the inning with a double to centerfield and later scored on a wild pitch before Hainline delivered a two-out RBI-single for a 4-1 advantage.
 
Cal threatened in the fourth inning, putting two runners on with two outs but Spencer buckled down and ended the inning with a strikeout.
 
In the fifth, Advincula walked before Brown hit his second opposite-field home run of the afternoon, a two-run shot and Jake Harvey delivered a two-out RBI-single back up the middle in the sixth for a 7-1 lead.
 
Spencer kept Cal off balance all afternoon, retiring the heart of the order on seven pitches in the sixth inning and worked another seven-pitch scoreless frame in the seventh.
 
Spencer gave way to Kaelber who retired the side in the eighth and worked a scoreless ninth to close out the series.
 
NEXT UP
The Cougars will close out the regular season hosting Stanford beginning Thursday.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Sam Brown homered in the 1st to extend his on-base streak to 26 games
Jacob McKeon singled in the 3^rd to extend his on-base streak to 27 games and hitting streak to 8
Brown was hit by a pitch for the 19^th time, fourth-most in WSU history