LONG BEACH, Calif. (March 1, 2026) – Washington State senior and Long Beach native Ryan Skjonsby delivered the go-ahead two-run single in the eighth inning for a 9-7 victory over Long Beach State at Blair Field Sunday afternoon.
 
Freshman Mason Pirello recorded three hits, doubled and drove in three runs, Skjonsby had two hits and three RBI, Maz Hartman scored three runs, Gavin Roy had a two-run single and Dustin Robinson tripled in a run. Cougar starter Griffin Smith worked into the fifth inning, freshman Ryan Falke ended a bases-loaded fifth-inning threat with a flyout, Rylan Haider recorded the final two outs of the seventh and August Richie retired all six hitters he faced to earn the save.
 
The Cougars scored four times in the fifth and built a 7-3 lead in the sixth but Long Beach State tied the game with three in the sixth and one in the seventh.
 
WSU (5-6) finished its 10-day road trip with a 4-4 record after splitting a four-game series at Big West Conference favorite Cal Poly last weekend and lost a pair of games to BYU in the ninth inning before beating Long Beach State 8-3 Friday and 9-7 Sunday.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
The Cougars struck first as Max Hartman pulled a two-out single through the right side in the third inning and Robinson jumped on the first pitch he saw, going the other way for an RBI-triple to left-centerfield and a 1-0 lead. Pirello followed with a hard-hit RBI-single through the left side for a 2-0 advantage. Long Beach State answered with a pair of runs on three hits in their half of the third.
 
Pirello struck again in the fifth, driving an RBI-double deep to left-centerfield to score Hartman all the way from first. Long Beach native Ryan Skjonsby followed with an opposite-field RBI-single to left-centerfield, Dane Chavez singled to right field and Roy pulled a two-run single through the left side for a 6-2 Cougar lead. Pirello singled back up the middle to score Northrop in the sixth.
 
Long Beach State answered with three runs on four hits, a walk and error in the sixth inning and tied the game with a run in the seventh after a pair of walks, an error and wild pitch.
 
In the eighth, Northrop reached on a one-out error, Hartman pulled a single to right field and Robinson was a hit-by-a-pitch to load the bases for Skjonsby who line a 2-0 pitch back up the middle, scoring two runs to break the 7-7 tie.
 
Richie retired the Dirtbags in order in the eighth and ninth innings to earn his first career save.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Noah Thein had 2 sacrifice bunts and was hit-by-a-pitch
Ryan Haider earned the win
WSU recorded its fifth road of the season, had three road wins all of last season
WSU improved to 8-12 all-time against Long Beach State
 
NEXT UP
WSU continues its 19-game road stretch to open the season with a four-game series at Texas State beginning Tuesday in San Marcos, Texas.