Cougars Hand Gonzaga 18th Consecutive Defeat

College baseball

Coming close may count in horseshoes, but it’s past the point of making the Gonzaga University baseball team feel much better.

Wednesday, at Gonzaga’s August/A.R.T. Stadium, Washington State packed five runs into the fifth inning and came from behind to beat the Bulldogs 10-8. The loss was Gonzaga’s 18th in a row.

Catcher Ryan Smith struck the decisive blow. After the Cougars had scored twice off GU reliever Tucker Urdahl in the fifth, Brian Newton relieved Urdahl with two out and a pair of runners on base. Smith, the first batter to face Newton, slugged a 3-2 pitch over the left-field fence.

WSU added two runs in the seventh inning before Gonzaga bounced back with three runs in the eighth. The Bulldogs added a run in the ninth and had the tying runs at second and third base when Reggie Revard retired George Arnott on a pop fly to Smith to end the game.

Designated hitter Steve Curran had three hits, one of them a double, for Washington State. Shortstop Bo Hart had four of Gonzaga’s 11 base hits and drove in four runs with two singles, a double and his fourth home run.

Donnie Murrell’s second homer launched Gonzaga’s ninth-inning rally after two were out.

WSU leveled its record at 11-11.

Gonzaga drifted to 2-20.

, DataTimes