April 19, 2015
PULLMAN, Wash. -- A three-run fourth inning pulled San Jose State's baseball team within 6-4 of host Washington State, but the Cougars held on to take the series finale, 8-5, Sunday afternoon at Bailey-Brayton Field.
Kalei Contrades (3-7) was touched for six runs over the first 2.2 innings and allowed nine hits in his third-shortest outing of the season.
Matt Brown entered in relief of Contrades in the third inning and kept San Jose State (10-30) in the game with solid work in the middle innings. The freshman held the Cougars (21-18) scoreless over his first 3.2 innings of work and finished with a final line of two runs allowed on four hits with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
The Spartans got to Washington State starter Matt Bower for four runs (two earned) in his 3.0-plus innings on the mound, but managed only two hits off reliever Sam Triece (2-0) in his 5.0 scoreless innings.
Chris Williams recorded his second multi-hit game of the series with a 2-for-3 effort and scored a run, while Alec de Watteville had a perfect 2-for-2 day at the plate with a sacrifice bunt. Joe Stefanki (1-4, walk), Brett Bautista (1-4, walk, RBI), Mitch Ravizza (1-2, run, RBI), David Campbell (1-2, run) and Kyle Morrison (1-4, two runs) added to the Spartans' nine-hit day.
The Cougars plated three runs in the first inning for the second consecutive game, this time on a double, three singles and a hit batter.
Morrison led off the third with a base hit to right and scored on a wild pitch cut into the Cougars' lead, but Washington State chased Contrades after adding three more runs in the bottom half to take a 6-1 lead.
San Jose State got all three back in the top of the fourth on hits from Williams, de Watteville and Ravizza and a pair of Washington State errors. The Spartans were poised to take their first lead of the day when Bautista hammered a 1-0 pitch to right field, but Wes Hatten made the catch up against the wall to end the inning.
WSU would go on to add two more runs in the seventh to make it 8-4 before the Spartans got one back in the ninth to reach the final 8-5 margin.