March 24, 2002
TUCSON, Ariz. -- A series sweep was not in the works for the 15th-ranked Arizona State baseball team, as the University of Arizona got a complete-game effort from starting pitcher Marc Kaiser in a 10-1 victory over the Sun Devils Sunday afternoon in Pac-10 play at Sancet Field.
Kaiser (Reno, Nev.), who was a fourth round draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds out of high school, threw his second straight complete game victory to improve to 5-1 on the year. He limited the Sun Devils to a season-low four hits while striking out three and walking only one.
The loss drops the Sun Devils to 18-9 on the year, but with the 9-7 come-from-behind win Friday and the 10-6 victory Saturday, are off to a 2-1 start in Pac-10 play. Arizona salvaged the series with the win Sunday, improving to 20-10 overall and 1-2 in conference play. The series win by ASU (2-1) continued a streak for Sun Devil head coach Pat Murphy not losing a season series his rival to the south.
Sun Devil junior starter Bryce Kartler suffered his second consecutive rough outing to fall to 2-2 on the year. Kartler gave up a career-high eight runs (seven earned) and battled wildness in walking five batters and throwing three wild pitches in four innings of work.
Dropping to 4-4 on Sunday games this year, Kartler once again was his own worst enemy with the Wildcats jumping out to a 5-0 lead after three innings. Three wild pitches and two key Arizona hits with two strikes led to all five of the two-out runs. Freshman second baseman Moises Duran plated two runs with a two-out single to left field in the second and left fielder Justyn St. Clair drove home the fifth run with a single to left field.
Another two-strike hit haunted Kartler in the fourth when Brian Anderson drilled a single to right field past a drawn-in infield to score two more runs, giving the Wildcats a commanding 7-0 lead.
Two more runs in the fifth gave Arizona a 9-0 lead before ASU's Rod Allen hit is fifth home run of the year with a solo shot over the left field fence to put the Sun Devils on the board. The single tally extended ASU's consecutive games scoring streak to 402 games, extending the NCAA record it set last year.
The Sun Devils continue Pac-10 play next weekend with a three-game series at Hohokam Stadium against the Washington Huskies. The series will run Thursday through Saturday due to a Pac-10 rule not allowing conference members to play on Easter.
Game Notes: Sophomore Steve Garrabrants was not able to play with a continuing injury in his shoulder... Garrabrants started the last two games after missing the previous five, but was unable to start Sunday... ASU is now 4-4 on Sunday's, all wearing their maroon "ASU" jersey... scoring in their 402nd consecutive game, the one-run effort was only the 12th time during the streak ASU has scored only one run.
Arizona 10, Arizona State 1 (Mar 24, 2002 at Tucson, Ariz.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona State....... 000 001 000 - 1 4 0 (18-9, 2-1 PAC-10) Arizona............. 131 220 01X - 10 10 3 (20-10, 1-2 PAC-10) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Arizona State - Kartler, Perrault(5), Liebeck(6), Klusman(8). Arizona - Kaiser. Win-Kaiser(5-1) Loss-Kartler(2-2) T-2:23 A-1448 HR ASU - Allen (5).