WSU 5, ISU 1 – Final
WSU 5, ISU 1 – top 9th – Hall’s two-RBI double with one out.
WSU 3, ISU 1 – top 9th. 2B Walker Davidson gets WSU out of the inning by turning a highlight-quality double play. He came up on the ball in front of the base and flipped back to Grimes to start it.
WSU 3, ISU 1 – bottom 8th. Logan Hoch in for Kelley, who leaves with a season-high eight strikeouts.
WSU 3, ISU 1 – Lassley with a two-out RBI in the 7th.
WSU 2, ISU 1 – O’B drives in Jones with a single past the drawn-in infield.
1-all in the 7th. Bascue doubles in Jones with a double and moves to third on a throwing error by the LF. Copeland out. Closer Kenny Long in for ISU. O’B batting for Harbutz.
WSU strands a runner at second. Copeland struck out Coy looking to end the inning. McKeever hit a ball out of the park that wasn’t foul by much. He struck out on a pitch out of the strike zone.
Learnard out. Copeland in. Learnard gives ISU a great effort – holding WSU to two hits. Looks like McKeever is pinch-hitting for Bennett against the lefty.
ISU 1, WSU 0 – top 6th. Kelley strands a runner at third after the Redbirds put two on. Kelley has allowed three hits, a walk and a hit basemen to leadoff hitters. Against the rest of the ISU lineup he has allowed two hits.
ISU 1, WSU 0 – bottom 5th. WSU has stranded six runners. Springer will lead off the sixth, meaning he hasn’t come up with runners on base.
ISU 1, WSU 0 – 4th. Kelley walks the No. 9 hitter, which you can’t do in front of Tokarski. Redbirds take the lead on a sac fly. ISU’s Learnard is handling the Shockers, getting a lot of ground balls.
WSU coach Gene Stephenson has talked a lot about controlling the running game. The first inning provided an example of what an experienced pitcher can do. Kelley picked off two runners, getting Tokarski off first and getting Hinshaw in a rundown. With that, he neutralized a potentially troublesome inning.
WSU lineup - SS Grimes, 2B Baez, DH Springer, C Lassley, RF Bennett, 1B Coy, CF Jones, LF Bascue, 3B Harbutz
ISU lineup - 2B Tokarski, CF Hinshaw, C Mirabal, DH Ruffolo, 3B Court, 1B Amrein, RF McNeely, LF Wiesemeyer, SS Kay
The pitching matchup favors WSU, with junior Tim Kelley (6-2, 5.37 ERA) going against freshman J.D. Learnard (2-2, 6.67), if Kelley is at or near the top of his game. The Redbird bullpen, however, looms as an important factor. It dominated Saturday’s game. Lefty Ryan Copeland, who struck out five Shockers in three innings, could throw today. Closer Kenny Long is fresh. It would serve the Shockers well to grab an early lead.
Who’s hot
- WSU C Cody Lassley – 4-6, 2 2B
- WSU DH Preston Springer – 5-9, 4 2B, HR, 5 RBI
- ISU 3B Ryan Court – 6-10, 3 HR, 4 RBI
- ISU 2B Kevin Tokarski – 3-6, 4 BB
Who’s not
- WSU SS Tyler Grimes – 0-8, 3 ks
- WSU 3B Erik Harbutz – 1-5, HR, 2 ks
- ISU CF Chad Hinshaw – 1-7, 3 ks
- ISULF Ty Wiesemeyer – 2-9