PULLMAN, Wash. (March 10, 2024) – Washington State dropped a 7-6 decision to Utah in the series rubber game at Bailey-Brayton Field Sunday afternoon. WSU claimed a 7-1 win Friday but dropped the last games on one-run decisions.
 
The Cougars (8-6, 1-2 Pac-12) received three hits and a solo home run from Joey Kramer, two hits, a solo home run and three RBI from Jacob Morrow while Alan Shibley added two hits. Starting pitcher Spencer Jones struck out five in five innings.
 
WSU scored three times in the first inning, added two more in the third inning and took a 5-4 lead into the seventh inning before Utah (11-4, 2-1 Pac-12) evened things with a run in the seventh, took the lead with two in the eighth. Kramer homered in the eighth but the Ute bullpen held off the rally for the second straight game to clinch the series.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the first, Utah took a 1-0 lead with an RBI-double to left field that the runner was initially called out at home after the Cougar relay but after review, Utah was called safe. WSU answered with three runs in their half of the inning, sending all nine hitters to the plate where Morrow delivered a two-run single back up the middle and Cramer followed with an RBI-double to left-centerfield for a 3-1 lead.
 
Utah regained the lead behind a pair of home runs in the third for a 4-3 lead but WSU came right back with two runs in their half of the inning. Morrow led off the inning with a 434-foot solo homer over the scoreboard in the left-centerfield and three batters later Parke pulled a two-out RBI-single through the left side to score Cole Cramer as the go-ahead run.
 
Jones settled in and fired scores fourth and fifth innings before giving way to the bullpen. Utah evened things at five in the seventh on infield single, wild pitch and one-out single through the left side.
 
In the eighth, Utah used a one-out walk and pinch-hit triple to right-centerfield to take a 6-5 lead and added another run with an RBI-bloop single into centerfield for a 7-5 advantage.
 
Again the Cougars answered right back as Kramer led off the bottom of the inning with a 430-foot solo shot to centerfield to make it a one-run game.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Nate Swarts was hit by a pitch in the 1^st inning to extend his on-base streak to 13 games
Casen Taggart had his 10-game on-base streak snapped
Swarts had his hitting streak snapped at 7 games
 
NEXT UP
WSU opens a four-game road trip with a Wednesday matchup at UC Riverside.