SAN DIEGO (February 27, 2023) Washington State rallied from a five-run deficit and received six shutout innings from its bullpen to post a 10-9 victory over UNLV in the Tony Gwynn Legacy played on the campus of San Diego State University Monday afternoon.

WSU improved to 7-1 for the second time in the last three seasons after starting the 2021 season 9-1.

Four Cougars collected multiple hits as they came back from a 9-4 third-inning deficit with three runs in the fourth, two in the sixth and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning. Jonah Advincula scored three times, Jacob McKeon had two hits including a two-run double, Sam Brown drove in two runs, Jacob Morrow had a pair of run-scoring sacrifice flies, Cam Magee collected two hits and Jake Harvey added two hits and three runs scored from the nine hole.

Shane Spencer worked scoreless fourth and fifth innings, freshman Ryan Orr worked scoreless sixth and seventh innings and retired one batter in the eighth before Caden Kaelber recorded the final five outs to pick up the save. Orr earned his first career win with 2.1 scoreless innings while Kaelber struck out four of the five batters he faced to earn a save, two days after pitching six innings to earn the win over San Diego State Friday.

UNLV, picked to win the Mountain West Conference, dropped to 4-4 despite scoring seven runs in the third inning to build a 9-4 advantage.

KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the first, WSU used three singles to plate a run as Greg Fuchs punched a two-out RBI-single through left side to score Jacob McKeon for a 1-0. In the second, Jake Harvey started the inning with a bunt single up the first base line, Jonah Advincula followed with an infield single to third base and later stole second before McKeon pulled a two-out pitch down the left field line to score two for a 3-0 lead.

In the third, Magee muscled a single back up the middle to score Greg Fuchs from second and pushed the lead back to 4-2. UNLV erupted for seven runs in their bottom half of the inning, using five hits, two hit-by-pitches and two walks to take a 9-4 lead.

Back came the Cougs in the fourth as three runs came home on a Sam Brown RBI-single, a wild pitch and a Jacob Morrow sacrifice fly to make it 9-7 UNLV.

In the sixth, WSU tied things at 9-9 with a pair of runs after a Sam Brown RBI-groundout and a Morrow sacrifice fly to centerfield.

An inning later, Magee led off the inning with a single back up the middle, Griffen Sotomayor was hit by a pitch and Jake Harvey bunted both runners up a base. Advincula followed with a high-chopping groundball to shortstop who threw on to first for the out, allowing Magee to score the go-ahead run.

Freshman Ryan Orr worked a scoreless seventh inning and retired the first out in the eighth before Kaelber struck out the two hitters he faced to end the threat.

In the ninth, Kaelber retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to shortstop.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Griffen Sotomayor made his collegiate debut, started at DH, was hit by a pitch
Jonah Advincula stole his 5th base of the season
Connor Wilford made his 1st start as a Coug, worked into the third inning

NEXT UP
WSU returns to Pullman to host a three-game weekend series against Southern Indiana beginning Friday.