Cougars Back McMillan, Split Doubleheader Against Cal

PULLMAN, Wash. (April 15, 2022) – Washington State split a doubleheader with California at Bailey-Brayton Field Friday. The Cougars won the opener 4-1 and dropped game two 16-4.
 
WSU (13-20, 5-12 Pac-12) took the opener after seeing starter Cole McMillan work into the sixth inning and allowed just one earned run on one hit and struck out five to earn the win. Reliever Chase Grillo fired two scoreless innings and struck out four to tally his second save. The Cougars recorded 11 hits as Jacob McKeon doubled, tripled and drove in two runs while Nate Swarts hit a two-run homer.
 
In game two, Cal (17-17, 8-9 Pac-12) scored in the first three innings and pulled away late to back pitcher Josh White who was impressive, allowing just three hits in 5.2 innings. Cal collected 10 hits and took advantage of 13 walks to even the series. Kodie Kolden hit a two-run homer for the Cougars in game two.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME – GAME 1
In the third inning, the Cougars used back-to-back two-out singles from Elijah Hainline and Jack Smith to put runners on first and second for McKeon who drove a 2-0 pitch over the centerfielder for a two-run triple and a 2-0 WSU lead.
 
In the fourth, Justin Van De Brake singled to left with one out and one batter later Swarts launched a 2-0 pitch the other way for a two-run home run and a 4-0 advantage.
 
McMillan settled in on the mound, not allowing a Cal baserunner to reach second base until the fifth inning. McMillan worked into the sixth and gave way to the bullpen with two runners on and nobody out. Cal pushed a run across but reliver Tyler Hoeft preserved the Cougar lead at 4-1.
 
Cougar reliever Cam Liss worked a scoreless seventh before Grillo struck out two in a perfect eighth inning and closed things out with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE - GAME 1
Jack Smith singled in the 1st inning to extend his on-base streak to 16 games
 
 
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME – GAME 2
In the first, both teams traded runs as Cal scored on a two-out RBI-triple and WSU answered with an RBI-single from Jack Smith.
 
Cal built a 4-0 lead with a two-run homer in the second and a run-scoring sac fly in the third inning. The Golden Bears turned to Josh White who entered the game in the second and worked five scoreless innings before allowing three runs in the seventh.
 
Cal pulled away with two runs in the sixth, four in the seventh and five more in the eighth.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE - GAME 2
Jack Smith singled in the 1st inning to extend his on-base streak to 17 games
 
NEXT UP
The series wraps up Saturday at 11 a.m.