April 7, 2003
TEMPE, Ariz. (www.TheSunDevils.com) -- Sophomore catcher Tuffy Gosewisch led a 16-hit attack by going 3-for-3 with two RBI as the No. 4 Arizona State Sun Devils handed local rival Grand Canyon a 10-2 defeat in non-conference college baseball action Monday night at Packard Stadium.
The Sun Devils improved to 35-7 with the victory and will return to Pac-10 play this weekend with a crucial three-game series at California. Grand Canyon dropped to 24-18 with the loss.
Celebrating the eighth anniversary of ASU's NCAA record consecutive games scoring streak, the Devils wasted little time scoring in their 475th straight game. Junior designated hitter Jeremy West recorded a two-out single in the bottom of the first inning to score Jeff Larish from second base. ASU was last shut out on April 7, 1995 at USC.
A season-high eight pitchers combined to limit the Antelopes to only five hits and two runs. Senior starter Robbie McClellan (Liberal, Kan.) picked up the win to improve to 5-0 behind a stellar five-inning, seven-strikeout performance. McClellan allowed only one hit and one run in his third start of the year. Jered Liebeck and Erik Averill each contributed a scoreless inning of relief, and Carlos Arguello, Matt Leaf, Bryce Kartler, Ryan Bosch and Ryan Schroyer sealed the victory.
Grand Canyon starter Jack Newark suffered the loss falling to 0-3 after giving up seven hits and six runs (four earned) in one and a third innings. A bright spot for the Antelopes was the two and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief from normal Friday starter Josh Blocher. Blocher, who is the brother of ASU volleyball player Courtney Blocher, struck out two and allowed only one hit despite pitching eight innings Friday vs. Chico State.
The Devils continued to pile on the runs with a five-run second inning and capped the scoring with a four-run seventh. Larish and Gosewisch keyed the five-run second with a pair of run-scoring singles and junior second baseman Steve Garrabrants drilled a three-run home run in the seventh.
ASU was led at the plate with multi-hit games from Gosewisch (3-for-3, 2 RBI), sophomore shortstop Dustin Pedroia (2-for-5), Larish (2-for-5, RBI, 2 R), and Garrabrants (2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 R). Pedroia recorded his 27th multi-hit game of the year to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and now has at least one hit in 40 of ASU's 42 games. He also started his 100th career game, extending a streak that has seen him start every game of his ASU career. Freshman Travis Buck also extended his hitting streak to five games with a bunt single. The offense record double-digits in runs for the 21st time this year and had 10 or more hits for the 32nd game this year.
Grand Canyon recorded only five hits, led by a 2-for-4 game from outfielder Travis Kaats. Kaats belted hit eighth home run of the season with a solo shot to lead off the second inning. Arizona State 10, Grand Canyon 2 (Apr 07, 2003 at Tempe, Ariz.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Grand Canyon........ 010 000 001 - 2 5 4 (24-18) Arizona State....... 150 000 40X - 10 16 2 (35-7) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Grand Canyon - Newark; Blocher(2); Michael(5); Gram(7). Arizona State - McClellan; Liebeck(6); Averill(7); Arguello(8); Leaf(8); Kartler(9); Bosch(9); Schroyer(9). Win-McClellan(5-0) Loss-Newark(0-3) T-3:01 A-2020 HR GCU - Kaats (8). HR ASU - Garrabrants (6). --Sun Devil Baseball--