STANFORD, Calif. (April 7, 2024) – Washington State erased a five-run deficit, tied the game with a run in the ninth inning and scored twice in the 11^th inning to take the series-finale at Stanford 9-7 in 11 innings at Sunken Diamond Sunday afternoon.
 
The Cougars (17-13, 7-8 Pac-12) erased a 7-2 deficit with two in the fifth and two in the sixth before tying things up with a squeeze bunt in the ninth and scored twice in the 11th for the win. Max Hartman, Logan Johnstone and Cole Cramer each collected three hits as Johnstone homered and drove in four runs while Cramer scored three times. Reliever Duke Brotherton fired 5.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Cougars who rallied to post their first win at Sunken Diamond since 2016, snapping a 10-game skid.
 
Will Cresswell delivered the go-ahead RBI-double in the 11^th and Hartman followed with an RBI-single for the two-run lead and Kaden Wickersham worked a scoreless 11^th as outfielder Ely Kennel made a diving catch near the left field line to seal up the win. WSU beat the Cardinal (13-16, 6-6 Pac-12) for the first time since 2021, snapping an eight-game skid.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
Stanford built a 3-0 lead with a run in the first and two in the second inning on four hits. In the third, Jack Weise and Crew Parke each punched singles the other way through the right side and Max Hartman put a bunt single down to load the bases to start the inning. Johnstone made it a one-run game with a two-run single past a diving Stanford second baseman and into right field but Stanford kept the score at 3-2 with a pair of strikeouts and popout.
 
Stanford scored twice in the third and two more in the fourth to build a 7-2 lead before Johnstone hit a two-run homer to right field in the fifth to make it a three-run game.
 
In the sixth, the Cougars loaded the bases with nobody out for the top of the order. The Stanford bullpen nearly escaped the inning with a strikeout and popout but Taggart muscled a single into centerfield to score two runs and cut the Cardinal lead to 7-6.
 
Brotherton worked scoreless fifth and sixth innings before the Cougars threatened again in the seventh as Cramer singled to right, Weise and Parke each worked two-out walks to load the bases. The Cardinal made a pitching change and ended the threat with a strikeout.
 
In the ninth, WSU caught a break as Cramer drove a ball to right field that Stanford misplayed for a three-base error. Following a walk to pinch-hitter Will Cresswell, Parke squeeze bunted home Cramer to tie the game at seven.
 
In the eleventh, Cramer led off the inning with a double to right-centerfield and scored on Cresswell's double to left field to take an 8-7 lead. One batter later, Hartman bounced a single back up the middle to push the lead to 9-7. In the bottom of the inning, Stanford put two runners on with two outs before Kennel made a diving catch down the left field line to end it.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Will Cresswell entered the game as pinch-hitter in the 9^th and played second base for the first time in his career, turned a double play to end the 9th
 
NEXT UP
The Cougars close out their eight-game road stretch with a Tuesday night matchup at Gonzaga.