FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — James Wise pitched three effective innings in his second start of the day, and the Washington State University baseball team backed its tired pitching staff with enough offense for a 10-7 win over Arkansas on Sunday night to force a decisive game in the Fayetteville Regional.
The Razorbacks (42-19) and Cougars (37-21) play again tonight for the regional title.
Wise also started the Cougars’ 9-6 victory over Kansas State earlier in the day, but was knocked out after just 76 pitches and 22/3 innings. Washington State sent him to the mound again in another must-win game. He allowed just two hits and left with a 2-1 lead. Although he didn’t pitch five innings, Wise (4-1) was given the win at the official scorer’s discretion.
The Cougars scored five runs in the fifth to make it 7-1.
In Sunday’s first game, Snohomish High School graduate Derek Jones hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run sixth inning for WSU.
Washington State trailed 6-1 before starting its comeback with two runs in the fifth. Garry Kuykendall eventually tied the game 6-6 with a two-run double in the sixth. Kuykendall was tagged out on the play when he tried for third, not realizing the base runner ahead of him had stopped, but Cody Bartlett followed with a walk, and Jones’ 12th homer of the season made it 9-6.
WSU’s Richie Ochoa (2-2) pitched 41/3 scoreless innings of relief for the win.
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