PULLMAN, Wash. (March 24, 2024) – Washington State closed out a series sweep of Arizona State with an 8-6 victory at Bailey-Brayton Field Sunday afternoon.
 
The Cougars improved to 15-8 overall and 5-4 in Pac-12 Conference play after sweeping the Sun Devils (10-14, 3-6 Pac-12) for the second straight meeting in Pullman after taking all three contests in 2022 for the first time in program history. WSU won Friday's game 8-7 and 3-2 Saturday before closing out the sweep Sunday.
 
Kyle Russell collected three hits including a double, triple and two RBI while Joey Kramer homered for the second straight game, Cole Cramer tallied two hits, Logan Johnstone scored twice and recorded his first hit as a Coug and Crew Parke had a two-run double.
 
Starting pitcher Spencer Jones earned the win after working five innings, allowed two earned runs on five hits and matched a season-high with five strikeouts. Reliever Ryan Orr worked a scoreless eighth and nearly picked up his first career save but ASU put two runners on in the ninth after a couple Cougar miscues and Chase Grillo struck out the only batter he faced to finish off the sweep with his third save of the series. Grillo recorded his 13^th career save, tying Russ Foster, Adam Conley and Paris Shewey for fourth-most in WSU history.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the first inning, ASU took advantage of a Cougar error fielding error on the wet surface as a two-out RBI-double to left field gave the Sun Devils an early 1-0 lead. The Cougars answered in the bottom of the frame as Max Hartman worked a leadoff walk, Russell doubled off the right field and next two batters struck out looking before Morrow pulled a two-run double down the left field line.
 
In the second, Logan Johnstone was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a Hartman RBI-single through the left side before Russell tripled off the right field wall for a 4-1 WSU lead. Kramer made it 5-1 with a 419-foot solo shot to centerfield for his second homer in as many days.
 
The Sun Devils scored a pair of runs on two two-out RBI-doubles in the fifth but the Cougars answered right back in their half of the inning. Cole Cramer and Logan Johnstone each singled before Parke doubled to left-centerfield to score both runners and later scored on a Russell's RBI-groundout to third for an 8-3 lead.
 
ASU hit a two-out two-run home run to right-center in the seventh to cut the WSU lead to 8-5. In the ninth, the first two Sun Devil hitters reached on three Cougar errors to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Orr recorded the first out with a flyout right field and ASU scored a run on a sacrifice fly to left field to make it a two-run game. WSU called upon closer Chase Grillo who struck out the only hitter he faced to seal up the sweep.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Max Hartman walked in the 1^st inning to extend his on-base streak to 12 games
Joey Kramer homered in the 3^rd inning to extend his on-base streak to 16 games and hitting streak to 12 games
Chase Grillo earned the save in all three games of the series
 
NEXT UP
WSU opens an eight-game road stretch with a Tuesday midweek matchup at Portland with first pitch set for 5:30 pm.