Washington State cashes in on Gonzaga bullpen en route to 9-6 win

PULLMAN – Elijah Hainline and Jacob McKeon drove in two runs apiece as Washington State dominated the Gonzaga bullpen to earn a 9-6 nonconference baseball victory Tuesday at Bailey-Brayton Field.

The Cougars (26-17) won two of three games against the Bulldogs (17-25) this season.

WSU struggled early against Gonzaga starter Kai Francis, who earned his first career start.

Francis, a sophomore reliever, pitched a scoreless five innings, allowing just three hits and striking out five WSU batters.

The Zags turned to their bullpen and the Cougars cashed in with a five-run seventh inning.

Hainline got the Cougars on the board with a RBI single. He added his second RBI to open a four-run eighth.

Gonzaga scored first in the second inning on Connor Coballes’ RBI single, followed by Savier Pinales’ two-out solo homer.

The Zags briefly took back the lead with three runs in the top of the eighth, keyed by Enzo Apodaca’s two-run single.

The Cougars return to Pac-12 play this weekend as rival Washington visits Pullman for a three-game series beginning Friday.

Gonzaga, in the heat of the West Coast Conference title race, hosts Saint Mary’s for three games starting Friday .