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Cougar Bats Erupt, Back Taylor’s Impressive Start to Beat Texas A&M

by wsucougars.com
Mar 4, 2022

FRISCO, Texas (March 4, 2022) – Washington State opened play at the Frisco College Baseball Classic with a dominant 11-6 victory over Texas A&M Friday evening.
 
The Cougars (7-3) collected a season-high 12 hits, received three-hit games from Justin Van De Brake and Kodie Kolden and three players drove in multiple runs to support starter Grant Taylor who worked into the sixth inning, allowed two earned runs on four hits and struck out a career-high seven to earn the win. Van De Brake reached base all five plate appearances with three hits, a walk and hit-by-pitch as he and Collin Montez each scored twice to help WSU post their first win over an SEC team since 2012.
 
Texas A&M dropped to 6-3 after starter Nathan Dettmer allowed five earned runs on 3.1 innings after entering the game with a 0.75 ERA.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the second, Van De Brake rolled a single back up the middle, Collin Montez was hit by a pitch and Kodie Kolden worked a walk to load the bases with one out. Following a strikeout, Hall pulled a ground ball deep in the hole at shortstop and beat the throw at first for the RBI-infield single. Russell followed with his own RBI-single off a diving third baseman and Kolden later raced home on an Aggie passed ball for a 3-0 lead.
 
Taylor allowed a one-out single in the first inning before retiring the next eight hitters. The Aggies snapped that streak with a hit batter in the third inning and later moved to third base but Taylor ended the threat with a flyout to right field.
 
The Cougars blew things open in the fourth, Hall got things going with a one-out double past a diving third baseman and down the left field line to put runners on second and third. Russell followed with a two-run single through the left side, a run scored after Van De Brake was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and another came home on a Montez bases-loaded walk for a 7-0 lead. Following a pitching change, Smith punched a 2-2 pitch the other way down the right field line to drive in two runs and Kolden followed with a two-run single into left for an 11-0 advantage.
 
In the sixth, a leadoff Texas A&M single chased Taylor who was 97 pitches and the Aggies pushed a run across in the frame, added another run in the eighth and used four walks to plate three runs in the ninth.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 
Kodie Kolden started at SS, missed the previous 5 games after getting spike in leg at Hawaii
Kolden walked in the 2nd to extend his on-base streak to 18 games
Kolden recorded his first 3 hits of the season after starting 0-for-12
Smith doubled in the 4th, has reached base in 9 straight games and hit safely in 6 straight
McKeon walked in the 4th to extend his on-base streak to 7 games
 
NEXT UP
The Cougars continue Frisco College Baseball Classic play Saturday against Wichita State with first pitch set for 10 a.m. (PT).
 
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