Feb. 23, 2005
TUCSON, Ariz. (www.TheSunDevils.com) -- Arizona State senior All-American Jeff Larish hit a pair of solo home runs, but it wasn't enough as the Sun Devils dropped their sixth straight game in a 11-5 non-conference loss to No. 7 Arizona Wednesday evening at Kindall Field at Sancet Park. Arizona scored nine of its 11 runs with two outs on the scoreboard.
ASU is in the midst of its first six-game losing streak since 1998 to fall to 6-9 on the season and 1-7 against ranked opponents. The Sun Devils are in the middle of a stretch of nine straight games against teams ranked in the national top 10. Arizona improved to 2-0 over the Sun Devils this season and 10-1 on the season with the victory. ASU continues to hold an edge in the recent series, having won 16 of the last 22 meetings.
Junior starting pitcher Tony Barnette (Federal Way, Wash.) was roughed up for five runs on six hits in just an inning and a third to earn the loss. He struck out one and did not walk a batter to fall to 1-1 on the season. Using a season-high seven pitchers in the game, six relievers combined to give up 11 hits and six runs over the final 6.1 innings. Senior right-hander Jason Urquidez (Simi Valley, Calif.) and junior lefty Brett Bordes (Mesa, Ariz.) combined for 2.1 scoreless innings.
Arizona reliever Eric Berger (2-0) earned the win out of the bullpen giving up three runs on two hits in 2.2 innings. Freshman starter David Coulon, UA's normal Sunday starter, was solid giving up one run and four hits in four innings while recording the no-decision. Mark Melancon recorded his first save of the season with two shutout innings.
Larish (Tempe, Ariz.) went 2-for-3 while recording his third career multi-home run game. Sophomore second baseman Joe Persichina (Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.) and senior catcher Tuffy Gosewisch (Scottsdale, Ariz.) each added two hits in the loss. Sophomore left fielder Colin Curtis (Issaquah, Wash.) went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to five games.
Center fielder Chris Frey fell a double short of hitting for the cycle going 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored to lead Arizona's 17-hit attack. First baseman Jordan Brown (3-for-5), right fielder Jeff Van Houten (2-for-5), catcher Nick Hundley (2-for-4) and third baseman Brad Boyer (3-for-4) added multi-hit games.
Arizona got off to a quick start with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Left fielder Trevor Crowe started the rally with a leadoff double and scored on a two-out single by Brown. A double by Hundley and single by designated hitter Bill Rhinehart also drove in runs for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats struck again with two more two-out runs in the bottom of the second. Frey drilled his first career home run over the right field fence and after a double by Van Houten, Brown blooped a single to left field to extend the lead to 5-0.
Larish put ASU on the scoreboard with a solo home run to center field to lead off the top of the fourth. The Devils then loaded the bases on a single and two walks before Travis Buck (Richland, Wash.) grounded out to end the scoring threat.
Arizona answered right back in the bottom half of the inning with a leadoff solo home run from Boyer to retake a five-run lead. Brown added his third run-scoring hit of the game with a double down the right field line to score Frey from first base.
Larish added his second home run of the game with another solo shot in the fifth inning and the Devils added two more runs in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to 8-4. Gosewisch tripled off the center field fence to plate Persichina and right fielder Rocky Laguna (Yuma, Ariz.) drove home a run on a groundout to second base.
The Devils pulled to within three runs with a single tally in the top of the eighth on another RBI groundout by Laguna. ASU had the tying run at the plate, but freshman pinch-hitter J.J. Sferra (Phoenix, Ariz.) fouled out to third base to end the inning.
The Wildcats added three insurance runs in the eighth inning on Frey's two-out, two-run triple to right field. Frey scored on the same play after a throwing error by shortstop Andrew Romine (Lake Forest, Calif.)
The Sun Devils return to action this weekend with a three-game series against No. 8 Baylor at Packard Stadium. The series begins Friday night at 6:30 p.m. with 1 p.m. games following on Saturday and Sunday.
Game Notes: The Sun Devils allowed a season-high three home runs and have now given up 13 home runs this season... a season-high seven pitchers saw action in the game for the Sun Devils... ASU gave up nine of the 11 runs with two outs and have given up 46 two-out RBI this season... Jeff Larish recorded his third career multi-home run game and has four of ASU's six home runs this season... he also recorded his 31st and 32nd career home runs to move to within four home runs of ASU's career top 10... he has hit five career home runs against Arizona and a pair of multi-home run contests... Larish also recorded his 148th career walk to pull into a tie for third place in the career record books... the home runs by Larish were only the second and third of the year given up by Arizona in 11 games this season... ASU used its 12th different starting batting lineup in 15 games this season... ASU has only six at-bats this season with the bases loaded... senior catcher Tuffy Gosewisch hit his second career triple and both have come at Kindall Field... senior Jason Urquidez made his 25th career pitching appearance, but only his fourth out of the bullpen... Urquidez has pitched in three of the last four games... senior third baseman Joey Hooft strained his left hamstring trying to beat out a groundball in the first inning and is doubtful for this weekend's series against Baylor... catcher Tuffy Gosewisch gunned down his seventh player trying to steal a base this season.
Arizona 11, Arizona State 5 (Feb 23, 2005 at Tucson, Ariz.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona State....... 000 112 010 - 5 9 2 (6-9) Arizona............. 320 210 03X - 11 17 0 (10-1) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ASU - Barnette; Dryanski(2); Bresnehan(5); Bordes, B.(6); Urquidez(7); Marotz(8); Garrison(8). Arizona - Coulon; Berger(5); Jarrett(7); Melancon(8). Win-Berger(2-0) Save-Melancon(1) Loss-Barnette(1-1) T-3:18 A-1714 HR ASU - Larish 2 (4). HR ARIZ - Frey (1); Hundley (4); Boyer (1).
--Sun Devil Baseball--