5/30/2021 baseball Edit

BSB: Cougs conclude season with Apple Cup series win

Scott Hood • WazzuWatch

Publisher

Washington State jumped out to early lead and never looked back to clinch the Boeing Apple Cup Series with a 9-1 victory over Washington at Bailey-Brayton Field Saturday afternoon.

The Cougars (26-23, 13-17 Pac-12) record their first winning season since 2015 and tally the most conference wins since 2014.

Tristan Peterson and Collin Montez each collected three hits, Kyle Manzardo doubled home two runs and Grant Taylor allowed just one run while working into the sixth inning to earn the series-clinching win. Nate Swarts had two hits, walked twice and scored twice.

WSU plated two runs in the first, added another in the third and pulled away with three in the sixth and three more in the seventh. The Huskies ended the season 20-30 overall and 6-21 in conference play.

KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME:

In the first inning, the Cougars struck first with a pair of two-out RBI-hits as McKeon lined an RBI-double the other way down the right field line and Montez followed with an opposite-field bloop RBI-single into left fie for a 2-0 lead.

WSU added a run in the third on a bases-loaded walk to Swarts for a 3-0 advantage.

Taylor was impressive, keeping the Huskies off the scoreboard before allowing a solo homer to start the sixth. Taylor struck out the next two hitters before exiting after surrendering a two-out walk. UW put runners on the corners with two outs but reliever Bryce Moyle ended the threat with a popout to second base.

The Cougars added to their lead with three runs in the bottom of inning as Kodie Kolden brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to centerfield and Peterson delivered a two-out two-run opposite field double off the right field wall.

In the seventh, WSU tacked on three more with a Preston Clifford sacrifice fly and a Manzardo two-run double for a 9-1 lead.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Kyle Manzardo is the 1st Cougar with 60 RBI in a season since Jim Murphy had 61 in 2008. . .Michael Newstrom made his WSU single-season record 34th appearance. . .Newstrom owns 76 career appearances, 6th-most all time.