BSB: Cougs sweep Dixie State, seven games in Seattle next

Washington State recorded a 10-3 victory over Dixie State to cap off a four-game series sweep Sunday afternoon.

Washington State improved to 7-1 for the first time since the 2010 team opened with nine straight wins and started the year 9-1. WSU opens the season with two straight series wins for the first time since 2011 and opens the year with a pair of series road wins for the first time since 1999.

The Cougars record their first road series sweep since 2006 at Northern Colorado and the first four-game road sweep since 1993 at Hawaii-Hilo.

WSU saw Kyle Manzardo homer for the third straight game and extend his hitting streak to 25 games, second-longest in program history, trailing only Shawn Stevenson’s record of 28 set during the 1997-98 seasons.

Collin Montez led the way with three hits including a home run and junior starting pitcher Dakota Hawkins earned his first career win after working five innings, allowing two earned runs and struck out five.

In the second inning, the Cougars produced a seven-run frame after loading the bases with nobody out. Justin Van De Brake started the scoring after racing home from third on a wild pitch, Preston Clifford followed with an RBI-single to centerfield and Kolden added a run-scoring sacrifice fly to centerfield for a 3-0 WSU advantage.

Later in the inning with runners on second and third, Manzardo homered to left-centerfield for a 6-0 lead and one batter later, Montez hit a solo shot to right field for a 7-0 advantage.

Dixie State answered with a pair of runs in their half of the second inning on RBI-singles, cutting the Cougar lead to 7-2. The Trailblazers threatened again tin the fifth, putting runners on second and third with one out but Hawkins ended the threat with back-to-back strikeouts.

Dixie State added a run in the sixth off the Cougar bullpen before WSU put things away with three runs in the ninth as Tristan Peterson doubled in two runs and Van De Brake followed with an RBI-double for a 10-3 advantage.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Manzardo homered in the 2rd inning to extend his hitting streak to 24 games and his on-base streak to 33 games. . .Kolden recorded his team-leading 4th stolen base. . .Dakota Hawkins recorded his 1st career win as a Cougar.

NEXT UP: The Cougars continue their season-opening 24-game road stretch with a three-game series at Seattle U beginning Friday. After that, WSU will head across town to UW for four games against Seattle U. and the Huskies.