PULLMAN — As well as the pitching staff has performed for the Washington State baseball team through the first 17 games this season, the Cougars were bounded to have a bad one at some point. That came Saturday.
Washington State’s bullpen allowed seven runs in the sixth and eighth innings combined and the offense couldn’t rally from that deficit in falling to Oregon 14-8 in a Pac-12 Conference game before 1,211 fans that evened the series at a game apiece.
Tanner Smith went 4-for-5 with a double, a run scored and three RBI for the Ducks (10-7, 2-3), who broke a four-game losing streak. Gavin Grant went 3-for-6 with a grand slam and two runs scored. Four other players — Carter Garate, Drew Cowley, Sabin Ceballos and Rikuu Nishida — each had two hits for Oregon, which outhit the Cougars 17-14.
Junior outfielder Jonah Advincula had three hits, including two doubles, with an RBI to pace 20th-ranked Washington State (14-4, 3-2). Junior third baseman Brandham Ponce went 3-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI. Senior outfielder Greg Fuchs doubled twice, scored two runs and had two RBI. Junior first baseman Sam Brown went 2-for-5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
Grayson Grinsell (1-0) picked up his first collegiate victory, allowing just one hit and two walks in three innings of relief. He struck out four.
Freshman right-hander Ryan Orr (1-1) was tagged with the loss. He allowed one hit, two walks and two earned runs in two innings of work.
The two teams play the final game of the series at 1:05 p.m. today.
Oregon 002 502 050—14 17 0
Washington St. 041 200 001—8 14 2
Uelmen, Anderson (4), Grinsell (5), Dallas (8), Umlandt (9) and Thompson; Kaelber, Jones (4), Orr (4), Liss (6), Wilford (6), Spencer (7), Brotherton (8) and Cresswell. W — Grinsell. L — Orr.
