One thunderous swing of the bat was all the WSU Cougars needed to win the Tuesday night matchup against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in Spokane. 

Junior Yale Rosen smashed a three-run home run in the top of the third inning to put the Cougars ahead for good, leading the team to a 5-1 victory. Even though the Cougars didn’t need any more than that, they added insurance in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach. 

The inning did not start out well for WSU as the first two hitters were retired immediately, but senior Collin Slaybaugh sparked a two-out rally with a single up the middle and then stole second base to get into scoring position. Sophomore Trek Stemp was then hit by a pitch to set the stage for Rosen, who now has four home runs this season. 

Out of the leadoff spot, Slaybaugh finished the night 3 for 5 with a run scored. 

The Cougars received a quality start from redshirt junior Scott Simon, who fired five innings of one-run ball. Simon gave up the lone run in the first inning when the Bulldogs used three singles to get on the board first. Simon settled down after that, retiring the side in order for the next three innings. In the fifth frame, Simon gave up a leadoff single, but then forced a double play and a flyout to finish his night on a positive note. 

“Everyone that pitched tonight was great,” Head Coach Donnie Marbut said. “Anytime you pitch and defend, you give yourself a chance and we did that tonight.”

Senior Kenny Smith started for the Bulldogs, and was taken out of the game after 3 1/3 innings. In 12 previous outings this season, Smith had not started a game and was 0-3. He also led the team in saves. 

The WSU bats ran cold after redshirt junior David Bigelow replaced Smith on the mound. Bigelow limited the Cougars for 3 2/3 innings, not allowing a run during that span. In the eighth inning, Bigelow imploded by allowing three straight singles. With the bases loaded, redshirt freshman Cooper Elliott grounded into a double play, which drove in one run, but saved Bigelow from bigger damage. Redshirt junior Trace Tam Sing made sure the rally led to something more as he singled to bring in the second run of the inning. 

Three WSU relievers made sure the Bulldogs did not score after the first inning. The win boosted the Cougars’ record to 17-16, putting them above the .500 mark once again. 

The next series on the schedule for the Cougars begins Thursday against the Oregon Ducks.