PULLMAN, Wash. (March 8, 2025) – Max Hartman tallied four hits and Rylan Haider recorded the final five outs to give Washington State a 9-4 series-clinching win over Seattle U at Bailey-Brayton Field Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cougars, winners of five in their last six games, had four players record multiple-hit games to back starter Nick Lewis who allowed two earned runs over five innings to earn his first collegiate win. Ollie Obenour added two hits, an RBI and scored twice, Ryan Skjonsby had two hits and three RBI while Gavin Roy went 2-for-2 with a walk and two hit-by-pitches. Luke Thiele drove in two runs and Cole Watterson had a two-run single.
 
Haider picked up the save after entering the game with bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning with WSU leading 8-3 after getting a strikeout and popup to end the eighth. The redshirt-sophomore righthander worked a scoreless ninth to preserve the 9-4 lead and give the Cougars their second straight series win after taking three of four from Iowa in Texas last weekend.
 
WSU took a 3-1 lead with a three-run third and added two runs in the fifth and sixth innings to build a 7-2 advantage.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
WSU put the first two runners on with a bunt single from Hartman and an infield single from Obenour but Seattle kept the Cougars off the board with a 4-6-3 double play and a popout. Seattle U took a 1-0 lead with a pair of two-out hits, the first coming on an infield single to third base before a two-out bloop double down the right field line gave the Redhawks a lead.
 
In their half of the third inning, the Cougars loaded the bases with a leadoff walk by Watterson, single up the middle from Hartmand and Obenour was beaned before Skjonsby lined a pitch the other way into left field for a two-run single. WSU again loaded the bases and pushed their lead to 3-1 after Thiele worked a bases loaded walk.
 
In the fifth, Watterson delivered a two-out two-run single back up the middle to push the lead to 5-2 and in the sixth, the Cougars added two more on a Skjonsby's RBI-double down the right field line and Logan Johnstone's RBI-groundout pushed the lead to 7-2.
 
The Redhawks loaded the bases a couple times in the seventh but the Cougar bullpen allowed just one run. Freshman Gabe Schneider entered the game with the bases loaded and ended the threat with a flyout to preserve the 7-3 advantage. In their half of the seventh, Hartman doubled to leftcenter and came around to score after Obenour singled to right field on the first pitch he saw.
 
In the eighth, Seattle U again loaded the bases but only picked up one run on a balk call before reliever Rylan Haider ended the threat with a strikeout and ground out.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Max Hartman had bunt single in the 1^st to extend his hitting streak to 8 games
Ollie Obenour had an infield single in the 1^st to extend his on-base streak to 9 games
Logan Johnstone walked in the 5^th to extend his on-base streak to 6 games
Seattle U left 13 runners on base and WSU left 12 runners on base
 
NEXT UP
The series wraps up Sunday 12:05 p.m.