Cougars Blank Utes

PULLMAN, Wash. – Tanner Chleborad struck out a career-high 10 and Michael Monda drove in the game’s only run as Washington State defeated Utah in Pac-12 Conference baseball, Sunday.

Chleborad (3-6) gave up four hits and walked one in eight innings of work. He fanned the side in the first and retired 14 in a row after allowing the first two men to reach base in the fourth.

Matt Bower struck out the first man he faced in the ninth before giving up a hit. An error by the Cougars (22-24, 12-12 Pac-12) with Ian Hamilton on the hill put runners at first and second. Hamilton then induced Josh Rose to bounce into a game-ending, 4-6-3 double play for his Pac-12 leading 14th save.

The whitewashing was the fourth of the season for the Cougars and their third in Pac-12 play. It marked the third-consecutive season Washington State shut out Utah (15-30, 4-20 Pac-12) in the final game of their conference series.

The Utes’ starter Dalton Carroll (1-4) matched Chleborad until the Cougars broke through with a run in the eighth. Patrick McGrath led off the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second by Ian Sagdal. A ground out by Cooper Elliott moved McGrath to third and Monda drilled the first pitch he saw up the middle for a run-scoring single to provide the Cougars a 1-0 victory.