Box Score Pullman, WA—The UC Riverside Baseball Team erased a five-run deficit Sunday afternoon at Washington State, tying the game at five through six-and-a-half innings, but the Cougars scratched across an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to escape with a 6-5 victory.
WSU (7-5) jumped out to a five-run lead in the bottom of the first thanks to three Highlanders (6-7) errors. Two of those miscues occurred on the second play of the game. Wes Hatten singled to center to open the inning, and PJ Jones hit a potential double play grounder, but Joe Chavez couldn't handle the throw to second and the ball made its way into right field. Vince Fernandez retrieved the ball, but his throw back to the infield was off the mark, allowing Hatten to score, and Jones to move to second.
The next batter, Ian Sagdal, hit a dribbler which was fielded by UC Riverside pitcher Kevin Sprague (1-3), but Sprague's throw was offline, and the play ended with runners on second and third.
Cameron Frost then singled through the right side scoring a pair, but he was thrown out at second trying to stretch his hit into a double. Patrick McGrath grounded out to third for the second out of the inning, but Sprague plunked Ben Roberts, and Brennon Kaleiwahea tripled to make it 4-0 Cougars. Jack Strunc's double to left scored Kaleiwahea, before Shane Matheny struck out to end the inning.
Layne Bruner got the start for Washington State, and he struggled in the early going loading the bases in the top of the first before escaping unscathed. He then faced the minimum nine batters over the next three innings
The Highlanders finally broke through in the top of the sixth off of a pair of Cougars relievers. Chavez drew a lead-off walk, and Fernandez tripled to right to make it a 5-1 game. After Matthew Ellis stuck out swinging, Mark Contreras double to left cutting the Washington State lead to three.
A wild pitch moved Contreras 90 feet from home, and one batter later, Adonis Morrison's pinch hit single through the right side brought him plateward with the Highlanders third run of the game.
In the top of the seventh, Drake Zarate drew another lead-off walk, moving to second on a Robby Witt ground out, and to third on Chavez's single to right. Fernandez's double to center cleared the bases tying the score.
Sprague was still on the mound in the seventh having allowed just one hit in the second through sixth innings to keep the Highlanders in the game. A throwing error by shortstop Dante Chupek allowed Strunc to reach to start the Cougars half of the seventh, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt.
A Hatten ground out to first moved Strunc to third, and after Jones walked on four straight pitches, Sagdal singled to right bringing home what would prove to be the game-winning run.
UC Riverside put single runners on base in the eighth and ninth, but couldn't come up with the game-tying base knock.
The Highlanders remain on the road next week traveling to San Diego Tuesday for a 7 pm PT first pitch against the Toreros, before heading to San Francisco over the weekend for a three-game series with the Dons.
