BSB: Ninth inning outburst lifts Cougs in season opener
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Feb. 14, 2020) – Washington State scored three times in the ninth inning to post a 5-2 victory over CSU Bakersfield in the season-opener Friday evening.
The Cougars used a pair of two-out RBI hits from Garrett Gouldsmith and Jake Meyer to break open a 2-2 game and give WSU its first season-opening win since 2011, also coming at Cal State Bakersfield.
Washington State was dominant on the mound, combining for 15 strikeouts as sophomore starter Brandon White struck out seven and allowed two earned runs in 3.2 innings. Sophomore reliever Zane Mills caught fire with a career-high eight strikeouts in 4.1 no-hit innings to earn the win while senior Owen Leonard closed things out in the ninth for his first career save.
In the first inning, CSUB used a leadoff triple and a double to push a run across but White buckled down to leave the bases loaded with a pair of strikeouts and a groundball fielder’s choice.
The Cougars struck in the third inning as a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third. Following a strikeout, Jack Smith drove a two-strike pitch into the left-centerfield gap for a two-out two-run double and a 2-1 WSU lead.
In the fourth, the Roadrunners used three softly-hit singles to tie the game at two and threatened to take the lead after loading the bases off White but Mills ended the frame with a strikeout.
Mills cruised over the next two innings, striking out the next six batters he faced and followed with scoreless seventh and eighth innings.
In the ninth, Manzardo left off the inning with an opposite-field double and Smith drew a walk. Following a pair of strikeouts, Gouldsmith delivered a two-out go-ahead RBI-single to right field and Meyer followed with a two-run single through the right side for a 5-2 advantage.
In the bottom of the ninth, Owen Leonard recorded the first batter on a flyout to left, allowed a single through the left side but ended the game with 5-4-3 double play.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Brandon White struck out 7, two off his career high of 9 last season at Santa Clara. . .Zane Mills struck out a career-high 8 to earn his 3rd career win for the Cougs. . .Owen Leonard picked up his 1st career save.
NEXT UP: Game 2 of the series is Saturday at 1 p.m.
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