WSU catcher Jacob Morrow saw Utah junior Core Jackson taking a generous lead at third base. He whipped the ball to a waiting third baseman Cole Cramer, who tagged Jackson to secure the second out of the inning. Senior right-hander Grant Taylor struck out TJ Clarkson and the Cougars protected home plate from a two-on, one-out Utah threat.
“We get that huge out, it changes in the whole game. I mean, that fired everybody up, even on the field so and then my job was just to get the strikeout. So I think all that stuff combined was just fun,” Taylor said.
WSU baseball beat Utah 7-1 on a crisp Friday evening on the Palouse. The Cougs’ Pac-12 Conference opener had few fireworks but a lot of crackles.
Following a Kai Roberts solo home run in the first, Wazzu’s No. 1 starter did not allow a single Utah run the rest of the way, pitching 5.2 scoreless frames to turn a performance the Cougs needed to ring in the final year of traditional Pac-12 play.
Taylor spaced out five hits and four walks and one hit by pitch over 6.0 innings, allowing one run and striking out five.
“We’re taught, you know, above all to be aggressive down the zone. So I mean, when you think you’re struggling, don’t flinch. And just keep pounding the zone down because you’re gonna get ground balls. It’s baseball. You’re gonna have failure,” Taylor said.
Roberts’ satellite launch over the left field wall was the only firework the Baily-Brayton Field crowd saw, but the Cougs provided plenty of crackles and thrills with classic small-ball.
Head coach Nathan Choate said the Cougars offensive style depends greatly on the in-game situations.
“Sometimes you’re gonna hit a home run sometimes you need to move a runner over and hit a sac fly. And so I think it really just depends on how the game was going on that day and trying to be versatile and have different ways of scoring,” Choate said.
WSU racked up seven runs on 10 hits. Nate Swarts lit the fuse with a racing third-base line double, Crew Parke advanced Swarts to third with a bunt and Hartman put the ball in motion, ensuring Swarts the opportunity to slide home to even the game 1-1.
Swarts provided for the Cougars in a defensive context in the top of the eighth when he showcased his wheels and awareness to make a highlight-reel-worthy catch.
In the bottom of the fourth, Joey Kramer tattooed a ball of the centerfield wall and Swarts doubled Kramers’ shot with a left-center liner to score Kramer and post a 2-1 Cougar lead.
Utah starter Merit Jones struck out Parke to strand Swarts on second and did not return to the game, posting a final line of 4.0 innings, 2 ER, 3 H, 2K, 1 BB, 2 HBP.
Utah’s bullpen was about as ineffective as the Cougars’ pen was effective, a perfect recipe for a home team win.
Utah sent two pitchers to the mound over the next three innings. Randon Hostert allowed three runs on five hits in 1.1 innings and Bransen Kuehl allowed two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings.
Both fell victim to the Cougars’ small-ball power hour.
In the bottom of the fifth, Hartman, Kyle Russell and Alan Shibley found the grass on three straight singles. With the bases loaded, Carsen Taggart sent a ball sailing to centerfield for the first of three WSU sacrifice flys on the day.
Shibley stole second, Morrow flew out to center to score Russell and Kramer singled to center to score Shibley. Cramer kept the line moving to advance Kramer but Swarts struck out looking to end the Wazzu threat with a 5-1 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Hartman got aboard with a walk and stole second. Russell’s double sent Hartman home. Taggart hit the Cougs third and final sac-fly to put the Cougs up 7-1.
Kaden Wickersham locked down the Cougar lead, backing up Taylor’s 17-straight outs without a run allowed with a final eight outs without a run allowed. The Oklahoma City native flung 2.2 scoreless innings, striking out two. He was one shy of facing the minimum thanks to a hit-by-pitch. Jack Lee snagged the final out of the game, locking down the Cougar victory.
The Cougs dropped the remaining two games of the series by one run each, losing 5-4 Saturday and 7-6 Sunday. Nonetheless, the Cougs, who finished one spot outside of the Pac-12 baseball Tournament in 2023, matched up well against a Utah Ute squad that finished last in the Pac in 2023 with a 9-20-1 Conference record.
“The goal was to win the series and so we didn’t win the series so we’re not real happy,” Choate said. “But you know, as far as the competitiveness and how we played, I’m most proud of the effort of our guys.”
