University of Washington
Washington State
Huskies Homer Three Times, But Cougs Earn 8-3 Win
April 11, 2015 | Baseball
PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State scored twice in the sixth inning and three times in the seventh to break open a 2-2 tie and beat Washington, 8-3, and secure the Pac-12 series victory at Bailey-Brayton Field Friday night.
The Cougars (17-16, 5-9 Pac-12) also scored twice in the second off Washington (18-14, 5-9) ace Tyler Davis (5-3) before getting to him for more runs late in the game. Davis gave up a season high 10 hits and tied a season-high allowing six runs in six innings of work.
Washington's three runs all came on solo home runs by Branden Berry, Josh Cushing and Alex Schmidt.
Davis entered the game with a steak of 18 1/3 scoreless innings in a row. He saw that stretch come to end in the second when the Cougars strung together three-straight hits to score twice.
Centerfielder Cameron Frost tripled to lead off the inning, third baseman Shane Matheny followed with a RBI double and first baseman Tyler McDowell singled home Matheny to make the score 2-0.
WSU's lead didn't last too long as the Huskies tied the game up with a pair of solo home runs in consecutive innings.
Berry cut the Cougars' lead in half with a home run in the fourth. The junior first baseman took a 1-0 pitch from Joe Pistorese an estimated 420-feet over the scoreboard in left-centerfield for his fourth homer of the year. The long ball gave Berry him a team-leading 24th RBI and extended his personal hit streak to 11 games.
Cushing tied the game in the fifth with an opposite field shot for his first career home run. Cushing hit a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence sent the UW dugout into a celebration and made the score 2-2.
The celebration was short lived as Washington State re-took the lead in the sixth, 4-2, scoring two runs with two outs. After the Cougars started the inning with back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt, Davis, who earlier this week was named to the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List, intentionally walked designated hitter Ben Roberts to load the bases.
Davis bared down to strike out pinch-hitter Wes Leow for the second out, but No. 9 hitter Jack Strunc hit a slow-roller out to shortstop Chris Baker. Strunc beat Baker's throw for a RBI single, and a second run scored when Berry couldn't scoop the throw in the dirt and the ball got behind him.
The Cougs chased Davis in the seventh after he gave up back-to-back singles to start the inning. Both runners eventually came around to score off reliever Brandon Choate, and the Cougars added another run in the inning for good measure.
After the Cougars tacked on another run in the eighth, Schmidt hit a homer in the ninth. But it was too late as Pisotorese (5-3) pitched his fourth complete game of the season in front of a season-high crowd of 2,581. He gave up just the three home runs and six hits total.
The Huskies and Cougars wrap up the series Saturday at 3:30 p.m. PT (Pac-12 Networks).
Washington State 8, Washington 3
WASH 000 110 001 –- 3 6 1
WSU 020 002 31x –- 8 13 0
LOB: UW x, WSU x. Tyler Davis, Brandon Choate (7), Alex Nesbitt (8) and Joey Morgan; Joe Pistorese and Brennon Kaleiwahea, J.J. Hancock (7). W – Pistorese (5-3). L – Davis (5-3). Sv – none. HR – UW, Branden Berry (4), Josh Cushing (1), Alex Schmidt (3). 3B – WSU Cameron Frost. 2B – UW, Joey Morgan; WSU, Shane Matheny. Time – 2:39. Attendance – 2,581.
