4-1 Game Recap: Doubleheader Game 2, WSU-UCSB

Walking away with a doubleheader sweep is always nice; winning the second game today, 7-3 WSU was able to wrap up the day up 2-0 in the series against UCSB looking to sweep during tomorrows game. Get the brooms out Coug fans! UCSB got out to an early lead but Wise settled down and turned in a great performance riddled with zeros.

• Again, good pitching will almost always trump good hitting in cold weather, and boy was today the definition of cold weather. Wise struggled a little early, giving up 3 in the 2nd but got into a groove after that, putting three zeros on the board after that before being pulled for J.D. Leckenby. In his 5 IP, Wise strung up 6 Ks while only walking one on only 3 hits. Quite impressive, a good day for WSU starting pitching.
• When Leckenby came in he looked strong, for the first batter. He lost control quickly after that and only made it through the 6th before being replaced by Paris Shewey to close out the 7th.
• Shewey pitched a good 7th in a non-save situation, only giving up one hit and racking up a K in the process.
• Jason Monda had one stellar day on the diamond for WSU, at the plate and in the field. Batting, Monda went 3-6 (.500) while driving in two. He continued to show his ability to get extra base hits, smacking a double in the first game of the day. In the 6th during the second game, Monda made one incredible diving catch in left to save two runs. Sprinting to his right he laid out full extension to grab a smoked line drive, causing the crowd to erupt, well as much as 50 people can "erupt". 
• Cougars played a lot of small ball, stealing as often as possible, showing bunt and putting on the hit-and-run regularly. I'm a big fan of small ball, and it's hard to argue against it when a team is able to execute it so well anyways.
• On a side not I need to talk about Butch really quick. This is by far the best Butch I've seen in my nearly two years at WSU. It says even more that this great performance came in 14 degree weather DURING A BASEBALL GAME! Usually at baseball games, Butch stays for 1-2 innings and leaves, even during decent weather games. This Butch was all over the place, either handing out free coffee, playing with kids, singing into his tail as a microphone, and doing Angels in the Outfield and Titanic impressions. Huge props to Butch, very well done sir, we all appreciate it.

Tomorrow the final game goes off at Noon, assuming we don't get the 4-5 inches of snow we're predicted to get tonight. Even with snow, they may clear the field and play anyways. I'll listen to my post game interview with Coach Marbut in a few and post the transcript in another post. Go Cougs!