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Cougars Rally in Ninth, Walkoff on No. 4 Oregon State

by wsucougars.com
Mar 13, 2022

PULLMAN, Wash. (March 13, 2022) – Washington State rallied with two runs in the ninth inning and Bryce Matthews pulled an RBI-single through the right side for a walkoff 9-8 win over fourth-ranked Oregon State in front of 1,056 fans at Bailey-Brayton Field Sunday afternoon. WSU recorded its first win over a Top-5 ranked team since beating No. 5 Washington in 2014.
 
The Cougars (8-7, 1-2 Pac-12) tallied a season-high 17 hits with six players recording multiple-hit games led by Bryce Matthews who came off the bench to go 3-for-3 while Kyle Stancato drove in a career-high five runs from the nine hole. Reliever Connor Barison picked up the win after working the final 1.2 innings scoreless. Collin Montez had two hits, walked twice and drove in two runs including the game-tying RBI-single in the ninth.
 
Oregon State dropped to 11-2 overall and 2-1 in conference play after surrendering a 7-4 lead in the sixth inning and a 9-8 lead in the ninth. The Beavers left 12 runners on base while WSU left 13.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the first, OSU plated two runs despite not recording a hit, using three walks, a passed ball and an error to take a 2-0 lead. WSU answered with a run in their half of the inning as Russell lined a single into centerfield to lead off the game and later came come on a two-out RBI-single back up the middle by Van De Brake.
 
In the second, the Beaver bats came alive as back-to-back doubles scored three runs and pushed the lead to 5-1. WSU came back with a run in the bottom of the inning after a Keith Jones II chopped-double down the first base line, a Will Cresswell single and a Kyler Stancato run-scoring sacrifice fly to left field.
 
In the Cougar fourth, Jones II muscled a single back up the middle, Elijah Hainline was hit by pitch and Will Cresswell bunted each runner up a base for Stancato who lined the first pitch he saw back up the middle for a two-run single to make it a 6-4 game.
 
In the sixth, OSU pushed their lead to 7-4 with a run on a sacrifice fly but the Cougars rallied to tie things up in the bottom half. Stancato was at it again, lining the first pitch he saw the other way down the left field line for a two-run double. One batter later, Montez pulled a single through the right side to score Stancato, tying things up at seven.
 
In the seventh, OSU regained the lead after a single, a hit-by-pitch, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI-groundout to second that the only play was to toss to first for the out and the go-ahead run scored. WSU loaded the bases with one out the bottom of the inning but the Beaver bullpen kept the Cougars off the scoreboard after a fielder's choice groundout saw OSU get the force out at home and the next batter grounded out to end the threat.
 
In the eighth, the Cougars put two runners on to start the inning but the OSU bullpen again buckled down and kept the one-run lead with a strikeout, groundout and another strikeout.
 
In the ninth, Cresswell and Stancato got things going after each were hit by a pitch with one out. A Kyle Russell fly out to centerfield allowed pinch-runner Hylan Hall to move up to third and Montez drove him home with a 1-1 RBI-single through the right side that saw Stancato race around to third on the play. Matthews dug in and pulled a 2-1 pitch through the right side to score Stancato for the game-winner.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 
Kyle Russell singled in the 1st to extend his on-base streak to 9 games
Kodie Kolden singled in the 7th to extend his on-base streak to 23 games
Keith Jones II matched a career-high with 2 hits (at UNLV, 2/24/21)
Kyler Stancato recorded his 1st career multiple-hit game
Stancato was the 1st Cougar with 5 RBI in a game since Kyle Manzardo against Seattle U last season
Elijah Hainline recorded his 1st career multiple-hit game
 
NEXT UP
WSU heads to the west side of the state for a four-game road trip, facing Seattle U Tuesday at 4 p.m. before opening a three-game series at Washington Friday at 6 p.m.
 
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