May 25, 2008

Box Score

PULLMAN, Wash. - Brad Boxberger induced a game-ending double play with the bases loaded in the ninth Sunday as the USC Trojans held on for the 8-7 win over the Washington State Cougars. The Trojans salvaged the series and denied a late rally by the Cougars after USC was up 8-0 in the fifth inning.

USC finishes the regular season with a 28-28 overall record and 11-13 Pac-10 Conference record while Washington State finished 30-26 overall, 8-16 in conference.

Sophomore right-hander Kevin Couture (Coronado/Coronado HS) threw seven innings, allowing just one run on seven hits with no walks and a career-high eight strikeouts to get the win for the Trojans. Grant Green went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI while Anthony Vasquez was 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI.

Travis Coulter was 4-for-5 for the Cougars while Paul Gran went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI.

USC scored five runs in the third and three in the fifth before Washington State rallied with a run in the sixth, three in the eighth and three in the ninth. Simi Reynolds led off the WSU ninth with a solo homer off Anthony Encinas for an 8-5 margin. Shea Vucinich singled and advanced to second on an error by third baseman Billy Pinkerton. Couture hit an infield single to put runners at the corners. After Scott Suttmeier popped up, Gran hit a two-run double to right and cut the lead to a run. Jim Murphy was intentionally walked and Boxberger walked Michael Weber to load the bases. With a 2-2 count, Jared Prince hit a ground ball to third as Pinkerton, Hector Rabago and Derek Perren turned the 5-4-3 double play for the win.

USC	 005-030-000---8-11-1
WSU	 000-001-033---7-14-0
WP - Couture (6-2)   LP - Arnold (2-7)   S - Boxberger (3)
T - 3:08   ATT - 576
Records: USC (28-28, 11-13), WSU (30-26, 8-16)
Couture, Cabral (8), Dedeaux (8), Encinas (8), Boxberger (9) and Stock, Salinas (8).
Arnold, Davis (3), Kost (5), Tribbett (6), Humes (8), Harvey (9) and Burg.