Pac-12 play began sweetly for the Washington State Cougar baseball team. WSU won its first series against a conference opponent over the weekend, defeating the Arizona Wildcats 3-2 in Sunday’s finale. 

The Cougars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with an RBI single from senior Collin Slaybaugh in the third inning and another RBI base knock from redshirt junior Trace Tam Sing in the fourth. 

Slaybaugh played in right field on Sunday to let P.J. Jones catch again. Jones went 2 for 5 to raise his batting average to .152. He had been mired in a slump before the beginning of the series against Arizona. 

WSU extended its lead in the top of the seventh inning when junior Yale Rosen singled to left field to bring in Tam Sing. 

The Wildcats battled back with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, but junior pitcher Tanner Chleborad induced a double play that caused Arizona to strand the bases loaded. 

Chleborad delivered a solid start, allowing one run on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. The bullpen almost spoiled the win for him, but the Wildcats could only tally one more run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ian Hamilton once again held Arizona in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the victory. The freshman closer earned his fourth save. 

Sophomore outfielder Zach Gibbons led the Arizona hitting attack with a 3 for 4 day, including an RBI single in the bottom half of the fourth inning. 

The Cougars move on to play San Diego in a two-game series that begins Tuesday.