April 20, 2000
The third-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to post a 10-8 victory over No. 19 UCLA this evening at Packard Stadium. ASU improves to 34-9, 10-3 in conference play while the Bruins fall to 24-17, 7-3 in league action.
UCLA jumped out to an early lead scoring one run in the second and two more in the third before the Sun Devils countered with a run in the bottom of the second. A big third inning saw the Bruins score five runs to take a commanding 8-1 lead. ASU would score a run in the fourth and a run in the seventh to cut the lead to five before the floodgates opened in the eighth.
With reliever Jon Brandt on the mound for UCLA, ASU tied the score up at 8-8 on a solo homerun by Mitch Jones, his second on the night. With two outs, Jeff Phelps doubled to centerfield to bring up second baseman Brooks Conrad. Conrad hit a towering homerun to right centerfield to put the Devils up, 10-8.
ASU's Eric Doble would pick up his seventh save of the year by pitching a shutout ninth inning. Reliever Ty Johnson (1-0) was credited with the win, pitching 1.2 innings, allowing only one hit with two strikeouts.
Shortstop Dennis Wyrick went 4-for-5 at the plate for ASU with two runs scored. Casey Myers, Mitch Jones, Jeff Phelps and Mel Stocker each contributed two hits to the Sun Devil cause . Myers, Jones and Brooks Conrad knocked in two runs each.
NCAA homerun leader Mitch Jones hit No. 23 and No. 24 tonight. Jones needs just one homerun to tie the ASU single-season record held by Bob Horner (25 in 1978).
Taking the loss for the Bruins was reliever Jon Brandt (4-5) who allowed eight runs on eight hits in 1.2 innings of work.
The Sun Devils and Bruins square off for game two of the three game conference series on Friday, April 21 at 7 p.m. at Packard Stadium. Junior right-hander Chad Pennington (7-1, 5.23 ERA) is scheduled to start for Arizona State. UCLA will send sophomore right-handed pitcher Josh Karp (5-1, 4.20 ERA) to the mound. For ticket information please contact the ASU ticket office at 480-965-2381.