Reigning Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week Jacob McKeon drove in the go-head run in the eighth inning as Washington State beat No. 12 Gonzaga 6-5 at Bailey-Brayton Field Tuesday evening.

The Cougars (17-22) knocked off their third straight ranked opponent (beat No. 10 Oregon Saturday and Sunday) after Kodie Kolden worked a leadoff walk in the eighth inning, moved to second on a groundout and following an intentional walk, McKeon's one-out single to right field scored Kolden. Reliever Caden Kaelber, who closed out Sunday's series-clinching at No. 10 Oregon, worked the final 2.2 innings and induced a game-ending flyout to left field with two runners on to seal up the win.

Kolden, Justin Van De Brake, Elijah Hainline and Elijah Hainline each collected two hits while McKeon scored twice and Hainline drove in three runs. Five WSU pitchers combined to strike out 12 Gonzaga hitters.

Gonzaga dropped to 25-12 overall after WSU snapped a four-game skid to the Bulldogs.

KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the second inning, took advantage of a pair of walks and error to load the bases with nobody out. WSU nearly escaped the threat with a pair of strikeouts but Gonzaga singled home two runs with a two-out single into centerfield for a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Van De Brake doubled off the wall to lead off the inning and later scored on a Collin Montez RBI-single back up the middle to make it a one-run game. WSU evened things up on Will Creswell's run-scoring sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Gonzaga took a 3-2 lead with a solo homer in the fifth inning but Hainline, a Spokane native, doubled home a pair of runs with two outs to give WSU a 4-3 lead.

Both teams traded runs in the seventh on RBI-singles as Hainline struck again with run-scoring base hit to right field for a 5-4 lead.

Gonzaga evened thins up with a two-out RBI-single in the eighth before the Cougars scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Jack Smith was intentionally walked in the 8th to extend his on-base streak to 23 games

NEXT UP
WSU hosts USC for a weekend series beginning Friday at 6:05 p.m.