Ready to explode after WSU’s Saturday afternoon loss to USC, Head Coach Marty Lees saw a rejuvenated effort Sunday as the Cougars won the series finale against the Trojans 9-2.

The Cougars (13-23, 6-12) pounded out 14 hits on Sunday, more than both their first two games combined against the Trojans. Lees got another strong pitching performance from redshirt sophomore left-hander Damon Jones (0-1), junior left-hander Trenton Dupre (0-3) and sophomore relief pitcher Scotty Sunitsch (3-0), who combined to allow two run over nine innings.

Jones made his second start over the past seven days, having pitched against Gonzaga last Tuesday. The left-hander went three innings and allowed one run on four hits while throwing 60 pitches, in an effort to continue to elevate his pitch count.

After using his Tuesday start to get re-acclimated with the mount, Jones’ start on Sunday was backed by a new mentality.

“Just having a screw you attitude,” Jones said Sunday. “That I’m better than you and I’m going to prove it.”

Sunitsch pitched the next five innings allowing just five hits and one run, a home-run in the top of the ninth. Lees was happy with his teams’ performance on the mound and at the plate, putting together another solid victory after struggling early in the series.

“As impressed as I’ve been all year,” Lees said Sunday. “Damon Jones came out right from the get-go and it’s what we’ve been believing that he could do. It took some time but it was as aggressive as any pitcher we’ve put out there in a starting role.”

Offensively, the Cougars came out swinging early with two runs in the first and three runs in the second.

Sophomore third baseman Shane Matheny notched his first home run on the season in the second, a three-run shot to right field scoring sophomore short stop Jack Strunc and freshman Jacob Thurber.

The Cougars continued to pile on the offense, including another three-run inning in the seventh. Matheny added two more RBIs in the seventh to push his total to five runs batted in on the afternoon.

“We really needed it,” Matheny said Sunday. “Coming out the first two games we were a little laxidasical and the ball wasn’t really going our way. Our intensity, we did everything with conviction and played clean defense, threw strikes, got the hits when we needed it and stayed off the breaking ball in the dirt.”

WSU heads to Eugene, Oregon for a three-game series against the Ducks beginning Friday, April 29. The Cougars’ next home series is May 7-9 against Utah.