In a rough day overall for WSU athletics, WSU baseball (9-7, 1-3 Pac-12) lost a pitcher’s duel to UCLA (6-10, 1-3), 4-1, to give the Bruins their first Conference win of the young season. Combining eight of the nine innings, it would have been a 0-0 game, as both teams only scored in the sixth inning. 

In addition to baseball’s loss, WSU men’s basketball lost in the semi-finals of the Pac-12 Tournament to Colorado and tennis lost to Utah at home. Overall a rough day, the Cougs fought in all facets but fell just short. 

In California, Grant Taylor took the mound and went 5.0 innings. Despite it being his worst start of the season thus far, his line was far from awful. Picking up his first loss to bring his record to 3-1, he allowed four earned runs on six hits while striking out six batters and walking three. ‘

Going into the top of the sixth, the two programs remained deadlocked at 0-0. Two quick outs for UCLA in the top of the six made it look like that would remain the same. That was until Casen Taggart laced a ball over the right field fence, giving WSU its first and only lead of the contest. 

After five dominant innings and now with run support, he came back out for the bottom of the sixth inning, and that’s when the Bruins’ offense opened up. 

A single and two walks quickly loaded the bases. Before head coach Nathan Choate moved to the bullpen, Taylor walked in a run on a 3-2 count, forcing Choate to bring Kaden Wickersham out of the pen.

With Taylor responsible for the runners on, Wickersham got an out on a fielder’s choice and then proceeded to allow two straight singles to make it a 4-1 game, the score that would remain for the last three frames en route to the Cougs loss. 

Despite bringing just one run across, the offense showed its potential. Seven hits across the board, a 2-for-11 showing with runners on proved to the Cougars downfall. When runners made their way to scoring position, batters went a putrid 0-for-5 on the side of WSU. 

The Cougs have a quick turnaround as first pitch of game two is set for 2 p.m. in Los Angeles.