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Cougars Fall to No. 18 Stanford in 12 Innings

by wsucougars.com
Mar 26, 2022

STANFORD, Calif. (March 25, 2022) – Washington State dropped the series-opener to No. 18 Stanford 8-7 on a game-ending bases-loaded walk in the 12th inning at Klein Field Friday evening.
 
The Cougars (9-11, 1-6 Pac-12) received two hits form Jack Smith and a three-run home run from Bryce Matthews to build a 7-2 lead in the second inning but the Cardinal (10-8, 2-5 Pac-12) rallied with a run in the third, two in the seventh and two in the ninth to send the game into extra innings.
 
Cougar starter Grant Taylor took the no-decision after working six impressive innings, holding the Cardinal to two earned runs on six hits and struck out six.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the first, Stanford took advantage of a pair of miscues as a wild pitch and a throwing error on a pickoff attempt leading to a pair of RBI-singles and a 2-0 lead.
 
In the second inning, the Cougar bats awoke with four hits that pushed seven runs across. With the bases loaded, Kolden double off the right field walk drove in two runs, one batter later Smith chopped a single back up the middle two plate two more runs. Matthews then stepped in and launched a 3-1 pitch high over the trees behind the right field fence for a three-run homer and a 7-2 Cougar lead.
 
Taylor settled in and worked scoreless fourth and fifth innings before recording his sixth strikeout of the night to end a scoreless sixth inning. The Cougars nearly added to their lead after loading the bases with one out in the seventh but the Stanford bullpen ended the threat with a popout to second and a lineout to the shortstop.
 
In the seventh, Stanford made it a two-run game with two runs on Cougar miscues in seventh inning a pair of fly misplays allowed the Cardinal to make it 7-5.
 
In the ninth, Stanford started the frame with an infield single and a base hit into centerfield to put runners on the corners. Following a pitching change, Chase Grillo struck out the first hitter he faced and issued an RBI-groundout to shortstop for the second out that saw a run come across on the play to make it 7-6. With the tying run on second, Stanford tied the game with a two-out two-strike RBI-single through the left side.
 
In the tenth, the Cardinal put runners on the corners with two outs but Cougar reliever Caden Kaelber ended the threat with a strikeout. WSU loaded the bases with two outs in the 11th, but the Stanford bullpen kept the Cougars off the scoreboard with an inning-ending fielder's choice groundout. The Cardinal put a runner on third with two outs, but Kaelber ended the inning with a popout to second base.
 
In the 12th, the Cougars saw Kyler Stancato reach second on a throwing error and later stole third, but Stanford kept WSU off the scoreboard with three strikeouts. In the bottom of the frame, the Cardinal used a leadoff walk, a sac bunt, a strikeout, an intentional walk and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases before a walk brought home the game-winning run.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 
Kyle Russell singled in the 2nd inning to extend his on-base streak to 14 games
Kolden doubled in the 2nd inning to extend his on-base streak to 27 games
 
NEXT UP
The series continues Saturday at 2:05 p.m.
 
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