Late Rally Comes Up Short at Seattle U

BELLEVUE, Wash. (April 30, 2024) – Washington State brought the tying run to the plate with two-outs in the ninth inning but Seattle U ended the rally with a strikeout in a 4-0 defeat at Bannerwood Park Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Cougars (19-24) saw Cole Cramer double and Nate Swarts triple while a pair of pitchers put together solid outings on the mound. Starter Kevin Haynes worked into the fifth inning and struck out four while allowing four earned runs before reliever Kaden Wickersham fired 3.1 scoreless innings with a season-high five strikeouts.
 
Seattle U scored twice in the first and fifth innings to improve to 13-31.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the first inning, WSU left a pair of runners on second and third to end inning before Seattle U used a leadoff walk, a double and sacrifice fly to push two runs across for the early 2-0 lead.
 
Following the Seattle two-run first, Cougar starting pitcher Kevin Haynes retired 14 straight at one point before running into some trouble in the fifth. The Redhawks loaded the bases with a pair of walks and hit-by-pitch and doubled their lead with a two-out two-run single back up the middle.
 
Cramer doubled to lead off the fourth but was stranded at third, Swarts tripled to lead off the fifth inning but was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a ground ball.
 
In the ninth, WSU loaded the baes wit two outs after Griffen Sotomayor and Jacob Morrow were hit by the pitch and Joey Kramer walked but Seattle U ended the comeback with a strikeout.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Cole Cramer hit his team-leading 12th double of the season
Nate Swarts hit his team-leading 4th triple of the season
 
NEXT UP
WSU hosts sixth-ranked Oregon State at Bailey-Brayton Field this weekend.