BSB: Cougs drop slugfest to Arizona; Rubber game Sunday
Washington State scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning and had two runners on when the final out of the game was recorded as No. 13 Arizona evened the series with a 13-8 win over the Cougars Saturday afternoon at Bailey-Brayton Field.
The Cougars (17-13, 5-9 Pac-12) found themselves playing from behind most of the game as Arizona (22-11, 8-6 Pac-12) took advantage of a career day out of its freshman catcher Daniel Susac, who knocked in seven of the Wildcats' 13 runs with a 3-for-5 showing at the plate, including a pair of home runs.
One of those home runs would come in the top of the ninth inning when the Wildcats' scored five runs which ultimately would be the difference in the contest. The five-run inning would break open a contest that had been within reach for the Cougs after the offense plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to close within striking distance of the Wildcats, 8-5, heading into the games final frames.
Leading the Cougars offensive charge throughout the day was centerfielder Justin Van De Brake, who finished his afternoon 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of extra base hits and two runs scored. The senior jumpstarted the Cougars' offense early in the day with his third home run of the season and ended the day with a double to the gap that started the late game rally for WSU in the seventh inning.
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
WSU looked like it would jump out front with a run in the first inning on a bloop shot down the left field line by Kyle Manzardo but came up empty after the ball was called foul.
Despite missing out in the first, the Cougs would not be denied in the second, taking matters into their own hands with a pair of solo home runs.
The lead would be short lived as they found themselves back to square one the next inning when the Wildcats scored a pair of two-out runs thanks to a fortunate bounce off the first base bag on a ball hit down the line.
The hard hit ground ball down the line looked like it would be playable by Manzardo on his backhand but took a big bounce into right field resulting in an RBI double. After scoring a go-ahead run in the third the Cougars' bats would slow throughout the middle innings, allowing the Wildcats to take control of the contest.
Arizona tacked on a pair of crooked numbers in the fourth and the sixth with Susac in the middle of the action for the Wildcats' offense.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Colin Montez hit his 6th home run of the season, moving into a tie for 8th in the Pac-12. . .Kyle Manzardo recorded his 11th double of the season, tying him for 3rd in the Pac-12, while his 19 extra-base hits ranks 2nd.
NEXT UP: The series wraps up Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
