Cougar Baseball Drops Home Opener

PULLMAN, Wash. – Jeremy Null pitched seven innings of one-run ball and Western Carolina beat Washington State 13-1, Friday night at Bailey-Brayton Field.

Null (2-0) defeated the Cougars (1-4) in Washington State’s home opener. Last season, the right-hander defeated the Cougars in the season opener for both schools.

“We were not competitive tonight,” Cougar Head Coach Donnie Marbut said. “At some point pride has to set in so this does not happen again.”

Western Carolina (3-2) scored three times in the top of the second off Washington State starter Scott Simon (0-2) on two walks, a single, a wild pitch and a double.

The Catamounts tallied five runs, four unearned, against Cougar reliever Sean Hartnett in the sixth and tacked on three runs in the seventh without a hit off Layne Bruner. Western Carolina added a pair of unearned runs in the ninth with Chris McDowell on the mound.

Washington State’s lone run came in the seventh when Jason Monda doubled with one out and scored on a two-out infield single by Ian Sagdal.

The four-game series continues at 2 p.m., Saturday.