Cramer Homers, WSU Opens Road Trip With Win at Grand Canyon

PHOENIX (April 17, 2024) – Cole Cramer hit a three-run home run, collected three hits and drove in four runs for Washington State in a 6-4 win at Grand Canyon Wednesday evening.
 
Washington State (18-17) tied the game with Cramer's three-run homer in the fourth inning and took the lead with a three-run sixth inning to knock off preseason WAC favorite Grand Canyon (20-17) who came into the week atop the WAC standings and beat No. 19 Arizona Tuesday.
 
The Cougars received two-hit efforts from first baseman Joey Kramer and centerfielder Nate Swarts while Cramer and right fielder Alan Shibley each scored twice. WSU turned three double plays and saw eight pitchers appear in the game as Rylan Haider earned the win with a scoreless fifth inning while Kaden Wickersham struck out four in 1.1 scoreless innings and Duke Brotherton picked up his first career save with scoreless eighth and ninth innings.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the third inning, GCU took a 3-0 lead with a solo homer and three straight singles. WSU evened things up in the fourth with a two-out three-run shot from Cramer down the left field line but the Antelopes took the lead right back with a solo homer to lead off their half of the fourth.
 
In the sixth, Alan Shibley and Will Cresswell singled before Cramer muscled a two-out RBI-single down the right field line to score Shibley, tying the game at four. Nate Swarts, Crew Parke and Max Hartman were each hit-by-pitches as Parke's brought in the go-ahead run and Hartman's pushed the lead to 6-4.
 
Grand Canyon put two runners in the sixth and seventh innings but Wickersham ended both threats with strikeouts to preserve the Cougars two-run lead. In the eighth, the first two runners reached on a double and hit-by-pitch but Brotherton came in from the bullpen and ended the threat with a 4-6-3 double play and a strikeout.
 
Brotherton worked around a two-out single to close things out with a scoreless ninth.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Kyle Russell returned to the lineup after missing the previous 9 games, was hit by a pitch in first at-bat to extend on-base streak to 10 games
Nate Swarts singled in the 4th inning, has reached base in all 25 games played in 2024 and owns an 8-game hitting streak
WSU recorded its 11th comeback win of the season
WSU was hit by the pitch a season-high 5 times
 
NEXT UP
WSU heads to Tucson for a weekends series at No. 19 Arizona.