Washington State received four hits from Jack Smith and the Cougars rallied with three runs in the sixth inning and four in the seventh for a 9-7 win over Utah Valley at Bailey-Brayton Field Saturday afternoon.
The game was delayed 38 minutes in the top of the first inning due to lightning in the area.
WSU (21-23) clinched the series after overcoming a 7-2 fifth inning deficit. The Cougars collected 12 hits lead by Smithās third 4-hit game of the season who doubled, homered, drove in two and scored three runs while Kyle Russell and Elijah Hainline each tallied two hits.
Cougar reliever Cam Liss earned the win after working 2.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and Caden Kaelber notched his fifth save by recording the final four hits.
Utah Valley dropped to 16-30 overall.
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the first, Utah Valley took advantage of a two-out throwing error to extend the inning and a bloop double into centerfield saw two runs come across. In the bottom of the frame, Kodie Kolden led off with walk and later scored on Smithās two-out RBI-single back up the middle.
In the third, Utah Valley used a single, a walk and a three-run home run to right field for a 5-1 advantage. Smith hit a solo homer to left-centerfield in the bottom of the inning and WSU put two runners on but UVU ended the threat with a strikeout.
In the fifth, Utah Valley pushed the lead to 7-2 with a two-run home run to left-centerfield. WSU put two runners on with nobody out in the bottom of the inning but UVU ended the threat with a strikeout and inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
WSU started the comeback with three in the sixth inning on Jake Meyerās RBI-infield single to shortstop and Swarts lined a single the other way to right field to score two more runs to make it a 7-5 game. In the seventh, WSU used Russellās RBI-single into left field to make it a one-run game.
Following a walk, UVU induced a groundball to the shortstop whoās throw to first was wide and allowing the tying run to come across and the inning to continue. Hainline followed with a high-chopper over the third baseman for an RBI-single and an 8-7 lead. Kolden followed with a bases-loaded walk for a 9-7 advantage.
Kaelber entered the game with two runners on in the eight and ended the threat with a strikeout and worked a scoreless ninth to seal up the win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Kolden walked in the 1st inning to extend his on-base streak to 16 games. . .Jacob McKeon singled in the 7th inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. . .Van De Brake singled in the 7th inning to extend his hitting streak to 11 games and on-base streak to 18 games.
NEXT UP: The series wraps up Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
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