Cougar baseball conquers Trojans in Game 1

After a rocky start, junior Joe Pistorese settled down and threw 8 2/3 innings of two-run ball Friday to lead the WSU Cougars over the USC Trojans.

The Cougars used a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to go ahead 5-2, eventually winning the game by that score. Senior Collin Slaybaugh led off the inning with a triple against USC starter Wyatt Strahan, who would not make it out of the inning after holding the Cougars to two runs until that point. After retiring the next batter, Strahan walked junior Yale Rosen, and then redshirt sophomore Nick Tanielu doubled to break the tie. 

 “It was just how you’re supposed to play,” Tanielu said of the inning. “When guys get on, you’ve got to score them and the way we were scoring them was with hits. That was perfect.”

The inning didn’t end with Tanielu’s big hit. Junior P.J. Jones promptly deposited a single into center field to drive in both Rosen and Tanielu, which blew the game open. Tanielu said he knew that would be enough with the way Pistorese was pitching. 

 “Joe pitched great, and they’re a good hitting team,” Tanielu said. “They were hitting it right to us and we were making plays. I wish Joe could’ve stayed in and got the complete game but you love to see Hamilton come in and get a save as well.”

Pistorese trotted out for the ninth inning and got the first two outs immediately. Then, he allowed a double to senior Jake Hernandez, and that was enough to end Pistorese’s night. Freshman closer Ian Hamilton entered the game and recorded his 12th save of the season. 

“I wanted it really bad,” Pistorese said. “You always want complete games, especially with how hard we as a team and I’ve been working on the mound. But Hamilton got the save and we got the win, and that’s all that matters.”

Pistorese praised the defense, which did not commit any errors during the night, and appreciated the run support that bailed him out of his shaky first inning. The game began with a single and a walk from the Trojans, which put runners at first and second with nobody out. A sacrifice moved both runners into scoring position, and Hernandez knocked them in with a two-run single to put the Trojans ahead. 

“I would’ve liked to have come out a little crisper but the mental part of my game was a little off and I decided to make a change after that first inning,” Pistorese said. “I was able to do that and that’s why I was able to go that far.”

The Cougars bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the second, and then the seventh inning rally finished off the Trojans. Tanielu described the feeling of standing at second base after his double that put the team ahead. 

 “It feels great,” Tanielu said. “Guys are pumped, I’m pumped, it’s just one of those feelings that you can’t get enough of. You love it, and it was a great feeling, and it was just awesome that I didn’t stay out there too long. P.J. knocked me in right away, so it was awesome.”

 The Cougars and Trojans face off again 2 p.m. tomorrow in the second game of the series.