Cougar Corner | Portland Accepts Gifts from Washington State for 6-3 Win
Washington State (26-21) put together a nightmare trifecta against Portland (24-24) in a non-conference game Wednesday afternoon.
As the sun sank into the west, so did the Cougs.
Poor fielding, spotty pitching and weak hitting led to a 6-3 loss to the Pilots.
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It was one of those games that Coach Donnie Marbut won't spend much time mulling over. From the first Pilot batter to the last Cougar out, seemed to have the good fortune associated with a black cat crossing your path.
Freshman left-hander Spencer Jackson started the game for WSU. Jackson didn't get defensive help from his teammates in the first inning. A throwing error on an infield ground ball led to three unearned runs for Portland.
Jackson didn't record a single out in the second before being replaced by another freshman, Anthony Drobnick. The two hits Jackson gave up to start the inning scored.
Just like that, Portland was staked to a 5-0 lead that they never relinquished.
Coach Marbut used four more pitchers the rest of the way, but the damage was done and the Pilots were flying along nicely.
Cougar hitters were coming off a good game Tuesday when they combined for 14 hits which plated 10 runs, easily earning a win over Portland. That kind of offensive firepower could easily overcome a five run deficit.
Wednesday the 13th wasn't a day for Cougar hitters. They could only scratch out five hits that delivered three runs for the home team.
It was clear what happened at Bailey-Brayton Field Wednesday evening.
""Our bats didn't show up today and you can't expect to win with five hits," WSU Head Coach Donnie Marbut said. "We made an error in the first inning that cost us three runs and that was the difference."
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With the victory Wednesday afternoon, Portland headed out of town with a series split.
Washington State will travel Thursday to Corvallis where they will face one of the top teams in the nation, Oregon State. The first of the weekend three-game series is scheduled for a 5pm start.
It's important for the Cougs to play well and pick up a couple wins against the Beavers. As the regular season winds down, WSU doesn't want to just squeak into the NCAA regionals.
This is the time of year where momentum can be a tremendous ally for a team that hasn't advanced beyond the regular season in two decades.
This weekend will determine just how far Cougar baseball has come back.
Cougar Football
Good news out of Seattle on the recovery of Cory Mackay. He has been moved out of the intensive care unit and begun physical therapy. Though reports are that Mackay is still numb from the waist down, the family and doctors are hopeful that he will recover from his spinal injury.
There has been an tremendous outpouring of heartfelt support from Cougar Nation. Here's another way to pass along your personal wishes to Cory and his family. To send an email care of Harborview Medical Center, click on the following link:
Continue to keep the entire Mackay family in your thoughts and prayers.
WSU Athletic Foundation Golf Tournament
The WSU Athletic Foundation will be hosting golf tournaments this coming weekend in Yakima and the Tri-Cities.
The WSU AF tour will visit the Apple Tree Golf Course on Friday May 15th for the Yakima Valley Cougar Golf Classic. Among the staff scheduled to appear at the Yakima event are Director of Athletics Jim Sterk, new Men's Basketball Head Coach Ken Bone, Women's Basketball Head Coach June Daugherty and Football Offensive Coordinator Todd Sturdy.
Saturday afternoon the WSU AF tour will tee off at the Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick. Cougar football head Coach Paul Wulff and a number of his staff will be on hand to participate in a day on the links with fellow Cougs.
The tee off time for both events is 1pm, which is prime time for playing a round of golf. A shotgun format puts everyone back in the clubhouse at the same time to mingle and spend time in the midst of folks that are all about crimson and gray. The day will be topped off with dinner and an auction of some awesome items made available to WSU AF supporters.
If you are going to be in Yakima on Friday or the Tri-Cities Saturday, get involved. Get onboard. You will be glad you did!
Click here to get more information and lock down one of the few remaining spots.
Originally published on Examiner.com
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