BSB: Grand slam carries Cougs past Rutgers
PEORIA, Ariz. (Feb. 29, 2020) – Washington State junior Justin Van De Brake hit a grand slam and drove in five runs to back senior lefthander A.J. Block who worked six innings and struck out 10 in a 10-2 win over Rutgers at the Peoria Sports Complex Saturday evening. The Cougars (5-5) collected 11 hits to clinch the series with the Scarlet Knights (4-5).
Block was impressive, allowed just one earned run on four hits and matched a career-high with 10 strikeouts, becoming the first Cougar to record 10 strikeouts in back-to-back starts since Matt Way did so in in 2009, recording 13 against Washington and 10 at Arkansas in the NCAA Regional.
Offensively, Van De Brake broke a 1-1 tied with a third-inning grand slam and finished with five RBI while Kodie Kolden went 4-for-4 with an RBI and runs scored. Preston Clifford and Tyler Lasch each tallied two hits.
Collin Montez walked three times and scored three times while Kyle Manzardo singled in the third inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
In the second, Rutgers used three singles and a walk to push a run across for the early 1-0 lead. The Cougars answered in the bottom of the frame as Van De Brake walked and Lasch picked the perfect time for his first career hit as a Coug, pulling a pitch down the right field line for a two-out RBI-double that scored Van De Brake all the way from first.
In the third, Jack Smith led off the inning with a walk, Manzardo singled up the middle and moved to second as Smith wen first to third on the play and Collin Montez followed with a walk to load the bases. Van De Brake stepped in a hammered a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left for a grand slam and 5-1 Cougar lead.
In the fourth, the first two Rutgers hitters singled and walked executed a double steal to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Block dialed things up on the mound and struck out the next three to end the threat.
The Cougars pulled away with a run in the sixth on a Rutgers throwing error, two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Justin Van De Brake walked in the 2nd inning to extend his on-base streak to 6 games. . .Kolden set a career-high with 4 hits. . .Michael Newstrom worked a scoreless 8th inning. . .Radd Thomas worked a scoreless 9th inning, recording 2 strikeouts.
NEXT UP: The series with Rutgers wraps up Sunday at 9:30 (PT) at the Peoria Sports Complex.
