Cougars Ninth-Inning Rally Held Off in Opener at San Jose State

Thursday, April 2

San Jose, CA

6:05 p.m.

Washington State University

12-16, 0

San Jose State

13-16, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Washington State	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	1	5	6	1
San Jose State	0	0	0	1	1	4	0	2	X	8	10	1

Cougars Ninth-Inning Rally Held Off in Opener at San Jose State

April 02, 2026 | Baseball

Box Score Nathan Choate Postgame

By: Washington State Athletic Communications

SAN JOSE, Calif. (April 2, 2026) – Washington State brought the go-ahead run to the plate after loading the bases in the ninth but San Jose State held on for an 8-5 victory in the series-opener Thursday evening.

The Cougars took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth before the Spartans scored four times in the sixth to take the lead. WSU made it a two-run game with two in the seventh but SJSU answered with two more in the eighth. The Cougars scored a run and loaded the bases in the ninth but a flyout to centerfield ended it.

Ryan Skjonsby had two hits and scored three times while freshman Alexandre Giguere delivered a pinch-hit RBI-double. Cougar starter Nick Lewis had his three-start winning streak snapped after allowing four earned runs on five hits while working into the sixth inning.

Washington State dropped to 12-16 overall and 5-5 in Mountain West play while San Jose State improved to 13-16 overall and 4-3 in conference play.

KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
Both starting pitchers cruised through the opening innings before the Cougars took the lead with two in the fifth inning after Dustin Robinson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Gavin Roy followed with a run-scoring sacrifice fly to right field.

San Jose State evened things up with a solo homer to left field in their half of the fifth and took the lead with four runs on three hits, two walks and two wild pitches in the sixth inning.

WSU chipped away with two in the seventh after Giguere's pinch-hit RBI-double down the left field line and he later scored on a Spartan fielding error.

The Cougars loaded the bases in the ninth and scored on a wild pitch. Roy worked a walked to load the bases but the Spartan bullpen ended the rally with a strikeout and flyout to centerfield.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Matt Priest singled in the 2^nd to extend his on-base streak o 6 games
San Jose native Ollie Obenour singled in the 5^th to extend his on-base streak to 11 games and hitting streak to 5 games
Ryan Skjonsby singled in the 5^th to extend his on-base streak 11 games
Kyler Northrop reached on a bunt single in the 5^th to extend his on-base streak to 10 games
Trevor Smith, missed last 8 games with injury, had pinch-hit walk in 9^th to extend his on-base streak to 18 games
Gavin Roy walked in the 9^th to extend his on-base streak to 15 games, had his 14-game hitting streak snapped
ON DECK
The series continues Friday at 2:05 p.m.