Cougars Fall to USC, Series Even

PULLMAN, Wash. (May 11, 2024) – Washington State dropped game two of the series 9-4 with USC at Bailey-Brayton Field Saturday afternoon.
 
Washington State (21-28, 9-17 Pac-12) received two-hit games and homers from Max Hartman and Will Cresswell while Cole Cramer singled home a pair of runs. Cougars starting pitcher Connor Wilford worked into the seventh inning, allowing three earned runs on six hits and struck out five.
 
USC (23-27, 13-12 Pac-12) collected 15 hits and erased a 3-2 deficit with a five-run seventh inning and added two more in the eighth to even the series.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
USC scored a run in the opening frame and added another in the third before Cramer singled off the USC pitcher with the bases loaded in the third inning, scoring a pair of runs to even the game at two.
 
Wilford posted scoreless fourth and fifth innings before Hartman led off the WSU fifth with a 434-foot solo shot to right field for a 3-2 lead.
 
In the seventh, USC chased Wilford with a leadoff double and got to the bullpen with five runs on six hits to take a 7-3 lead. The Trojans added to more runs in the eighth before Cresswell hit a long, solo homer in the Cougar half of the eighth.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Joey Kramer singled in the 5th inning to extend his on-base streak to 10 games
Max Hartman homered for the second straight game
 
NEXT UP
The series wraps up Sunday at 12:05 p.m. on Pac-12 Los Angeles.