PULLMAN, Wash. (March 8, 2024) – Washington State starting pitcher Grant Taylor allowed one run in six innings in a 7-1 Pac-12 Conference series-opening win over Utah at Bailey-Brayton Field Friday evening.
 
Taylor improved to 3-0 after scattering five hits, allowing just a first-inning solo home run and matched season-highs with five strikeouts in six innings. Four Cougars collected two hits led by centerfield Nate Swarts who doubled twice, drove in the go-ahead run in the fourth and also stole a base. Max Hartmand and Kyle Russell, the top two hitters of the lineup, each scored twice.
 
The Cougars (8-4) allowed a first-inning solo home run to Utah but evened things with a run in the third, scored the go-ahead run on a Swarts RBI-double in the fourth, added three in the fifth and pulled away with two more in the sixth inning. Taylor, along with relievers Kaden Wickersham and Jack Lee held the Utes (9-4) to five hits.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the first, Utah took an early lead with a one-out opposite field solo home run to left field. Utah threatened in the third inning with runners on second and third with one out but catcher Jacob Morrow back-picked the runner at third to get the second out and Taylor struck out the hitter to end the threat. In the bottom of the inning, Swarts pulled a hot-shot off the Ute third baseman and down the line for a leadoff double, Crew Parke bunted Swarts to third and Max Hartman evened the game with an RBI-groundout to first.
 
In the fourth, Joey Kramer just missed a solo homer with a double high off the centerfield wall and one batter later Swarts rocketed a two-out RBI-double to left-centerfield to give WSU a 2-1 lead.
 
In the fifth, WSU opened the inning with three straight singles before Taggart and Morrow each drove in runs with sacrifice flyouts before Kramer muscled a two-out RBI-single into centerfield for a 5-1 advantage.
 
In the sixth, Utah used a walk and one-out single to put runners on first and second but Taylor ended the threat with a groundout to first base and snagged a softly hit comebacker to keep it a 5-1 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Russell doubled home Max Hartman and he later scored on a Taggart sacrifice fly that pushed the lead to 7-1.
 
Wickersham fired scoreless seventh and eighth innings before giving way to lefthander Jack Lee who ended the game with a flyout in the ninth.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Casen Taggart walked in the 2^nd inning to extend his on-base streak to 10 games
Nate Swarts doubled in the 3rd inning to extend his on-base streak to 11 games and hitting streak to 6 games
Alan Shibley was hit by a pitch in the 3^rd inning to extend his on-base streak to all 12 games
Cole Cramer singled in the 5^th inning to extend his on-base streak to all 12 games
 
NEXT UP
The series with Utah continues Saturday 2:05 p.m.