Feb. 12, 2005
SURPRISE, Ariz. (www.TheSunDevils.com) -- Arizona State senior first baseman Jeff Larish went 2-for-4 with four RBI and junior reliever Tony Barnette allowed one hit in 3.2 shutout innings to lead the No. 12 Sun Devils to a 7-5 victory over Oklahoma at Surprise Stadium to conclude the first day of the Coca-Cola Spring Training Classic.
ASU also defeated South Alabama, 7-2, earlier in the day to conclude a perfect afternoon of baseball and improve to 6-3 on the season. Oklahoma dropped both of its games to open the season 0-2.
Barnette (Federal Way, Wash.) came out of the bullpen in relief of starter Jason Urquidez (Simi Valley, Calif.) and reliever Pat Bresnehan (Sherborn, Mass.) with the go-ahead run on third base, but got two quick strikeouts to keep the game tied. He went on to strike out five and walk only one in 3.2 innings to pick up his first win as a Sun Devil. Urquidez scattered nine hits and gave up five runs (four earned) in 5.1 innings to record the no-decision.
OU reliever Garrett Patterson surrendered a pair of runs in his three innings of work to record the loss. He struck out four and walked two. Junior starter Daniel McCutchen gave up eight hits and five runs in five innings to take the no-decision.
Larish (Tempe, Ariz.) went 2-for-4 and ended the day 4-for-8 with six RBI and a pair of home runs. Sophomore leadoff hitter Colin Curtis (Issaquah, Wash.) was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI and sophomore second baseman Joe Persichina (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.) went 2-for-4 for his first multi-hit performance of the year.
Freshman right fielder Joe Dunigan and freshman catcher Jackson Williams each had a pair of hits to lead the Sooner offense.
After Oklahoma opened the game with a run in the top of the first, ASU answered with Larish's three-run home run to left field to take a 3-1 lead. The Sun Devils extended the lead to 5-1 when right fielder Travis Buck (Richland, Wash.) and Larish each had run-scoring singles in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Sooners used a four-run sixth inning to tie the game at 5-5. Sending eight batters to the plate, Williams provided the big hit with a two-run double off the center field fence.
The Sun Devils answered right back with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the sixth to take a 7-5 lead. Pinch-hitter Zechry Zinicola (San Bernadino, Calif.) led off with a walk and moved into scoring position on a balk by reliever Garrett Patterson. Freshman shortstop Andrew Romine (Lake Forest, Calif.) plated the go-ahead run with a double down the right field line and Curtis added another run with a two-out single to right field to score Romine.
The Sun Devils complete tournament action Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. against Gonzaga (2-3) at Surprise Stadium. Oklahoma (0-2) will play South Alabama (1-1) in the early game at 11 a.m.
Game Notes: Senior right-hander Jason Urquidez made his 20th career start on the mound... Tuffy Gosewisch (7 games)... J.J. Sferra (6 games), Jeff Larish (4 games), Travis Buck (3 games), Joey Hooft (3 games) and Joe Persichina (3 games) all extended their hitting streaks... ASU put the leadoff runner on base in five of their eight offensive innings...
Arizona State 7, Oklahoma 5 (Feb 12, 2005 at Surprise, Ariz.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Oklahoma............ 100 004 000 - 5 11 1 (0-2) Arizona State....... 300 022 00X - 7 12 1 (6-3) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Oklahoma - McCutchen; Patterson(6). Arizona State - Urquidez; Bresnehan(6); Barnette(6). Win-Barnette(1-0) Loss-Patterson(0-1) T-3:21 A-678 HR ASU - Larish (2).
2005 Coca-Cola Spring Training Classic (Surprise, Ariz.): Arizona State 7, South Alabama 2 Gonzaga 8, Oklahoma 5 Arizona State 7, Oklahoma 5 South Alabama 9, Gonzaga 7
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