LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — Pinch-hitter Cooper Jones launched a three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning Thursday afternoon, breaking a tie and lifting the BYU Cougars to a 6-4 victory over the Washington State Cougars in a nonconference baseball game at Blair Field.

The game’s most critical sequence unfolded in the final frame. With the score locked at 4-4, BYU’s Collin Erickson was hit by a pitch with two outs. After a mound visit, Cooper Jones worked a walk, putting two runners on. That set the stage for a second BYU batter named Cooper Jones, who was announced as a pinch-hitter. On the next offering, he drove a pitch deep over the left-field wall for a three-run blast, scoring pinch-runner Kuhio Schow and pinch-runner Crew Graham ahead of him.

The dramatic home run spoiled a masterful start by Washington State’s Luke Meyers and erased a comeback effort by the home team. Meyers was dominant over seven innings, allowing just four hits and no earned runs while striking out three. He left with a 4-1 lead, but Washington State’s bullpen could not hold it.

BYU had scratched back into the game with single runs in the sixth and eighth innings. In the sixth, Erickson scored on a sacrifice fly by Easton Painter after reaching on a bunt single and advancing to third on a throwing error by Meyers. In the eighth, Ezra McNaughton delivered an RBI single to score Jones, who had singled, cutting the deficit to 4-3. A subsequent RBI single by Dustin Robinson tied the game.

Washington State built its lead against BYU starter Garrison Sumner, who struggled with control. The home team broke a scoreless tie in the fourth when Dustin Robinson doubled home two runs. They added two more in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Kaden Northrop and an RBI triple by Max Hartman, though Hartman was thrown out at the plate trying for an inside-the-park homer.

That fifth-inning rally was halted by BYU reliever Ashton Johnson, who entered with two outs and the bases loaded. Johnson escaped further damage and proceeded to throw 4 1/3 innings of hitless, scoreless relief, striking out three. He earned the win, his second straight stellar outing following four hitless innings against San Diego State last week.

Washington State out-hit BYU 9-8, with Trevor Smith and Gavin Roy each collecting three hits and Robinson adding two doubles and two RBIs. BYU was hampered by grounding into two double plays but capitalized on its late opportunity.

With the win, BYU improved to 5-4 on the season. Washington State fell to 3-5. The two teams are scheduled to meet again Friday at Blair Field in Long Beach.