WSU shuts out Long Island U. in opener of Arizona set
Feb. 25—PEORIA, Ariz. — Sophomore outfielder Hylan Hall and senior outfielder Justin Van De Brake had two-run singles in a six-run seventh inning that broke open a close game Thursday as the Washington State baseball team shut out LIU 10-0 in the first of a four-game nonconference series at the Peoria Sports Complex.
"In Hawaii, we were playing with a piano on our shoulder," said coach Brian Green, who noted the team was 8-for-42 with runners in scoring position in a four-game series against the Rainbow Warriors. "We were really lacking at executing in runner on third and less than two (outs). Those are things where you can too much pressure on yourself. It was nice to see us relax."
Van De Brake was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored for the Cougars (3-2), who picked up a win after losing the final two games of a four-game series this past weekend at Hawaii. Sophomore second baseman Kyle Russell went 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored. Senior third baseman Jack Smith was 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Junior catcher Jake Meyer was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Hall finished with three RBI.
Four different players registered hits for the Sharks (2-3), who were outhit 11-4.
Sophomore right-hander Grant Taylor (1-0) allowed three hits and a walk in six innings to pick up the win. He struck out five.
"He was really good," Green said. "He did a great job. He put a lot on himself in Hawaii and it was tough for him to compete, and I hope he learned from that. Grant really responded, and I was happy for him. He came back with something to prove."
Shane Tucker (0-1) took the loss, allowing one hit, four walks and one earned run in 1 1/3 innings. He struck out two.
Washington State loaded the bases in the second and scored with one out when Hall was hit by a pitch. Smith's two-out single in the third made it 2-0, and sophomore Bryce Matthews' sacrifice fly in the fifth scored Van De Brake for a 3-0 advantage.
Then the Cougars blew it open in the seventh. Meyer's one-out double scored Matthews. Hall then followed with a two-out single that scored Smith and Meyer. Two batters later, Van De Brake singled home Hall and Russell. Then junior first baseman Jacob McKeon made it 9-0 with an infield single.
Russell tripled to lead off the eighth, and freshman Elijah Hainline followed with a sacrifice fly for the final run.
The two teams meet at noon today at the same site in a doubleheader.
LIU 000 000 000—0 4 2
Washington State 011 010 61x—10 11 0
Tucker, DeSalvo (2), Small (6), Van Doran (7) and Adams, Price (8); Taylor, Kmetko (7), Hoeft (8), Lee (9) and Meyer, Cresswell (8). W—Taylor. L—Tucker.
