PULLMAN, Wash. (May 19, 2023) – Washington State battled No. 3 Stanford but dropped a 7-4 decision at Bailey-Brayton Field Friday afternoon.
 
The Cougars (29-22, 10-18 Pac-12) had three players record multiple-hit games led by Elijah Hainline's three hits including his 11^th homer of the season. Stanford clinched the series after scoring twice in the fifth and twice more in the sixth to support their ace Quinn Mathews who struck out eight and worked into the eighth inning.
 
Hainline's homer was WSU's 52^nd home run of the season, tenth-most in WSU single-season history. Bryce Matthews tallied two hits including a two-run double and Kyle Russell added two hits.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
Stanford took a 2-0 lead with two-out RBI-singles in the first and second innings before Hainline launched the first pitch he saw in the second inning for a solo homer to centerfield. Shane Spencer settled in and fired back-to-back scoreless frames in the third and fourth innings before Stanford struck with a two-out two-run double down the right field line to push the lead to 4-1. The Cardinal added two more in the sixth to push the lead to 6-1.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Jacob McKeon worked a walk and Hainline doubled off the right-centerfield wall before Matthews muscled one the other way for a two-run double into left-centerfield to cut the Cardinal lead to 6-3. WSU loaded the bases with one out and brought home another run with Jake Harvey's fielder's choice ground ball but Stanford ended the bases loaded threat with a fly out to center.
 
The Cougars threatened again in the seventh as Hainline singled to right-centerfield for his third hit of the day but was stranded at third after a pair of strikeouts. The Stanford bullpen closed things out with scoreless eighth and ninth innings.
 
NEXT UP
The series wraps up Saturday at 12:05 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Jacob McKeon walked in the 6th to extend his on-base streak to 29 games
Sam Brown had his 27-game on-base streak end