Feb. 5, 2006
TEMPE, Ariz. - Pat Bresnehan went six strong innings, allowing only two hits and an unearned run to help lead the #12 Arizona State Sun Devils to an 8-3 victory and a three-game sweep of the Northern Illinois Huskies Sunday afternoon at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. ASU is now 5-1 on the year while NIU drops to 0-3.
Bresnehan, who last weekend was dominant against Cal State Northridge, struck out six in his six innings to improve his record to 2-0. OF Colin Curtis, who hit in the leadoff sport all weekend after batting third during opening weekend, had a huge afternoon, going 3-4. Curtis had a home run, a single and a double to go with his three stolen bases to help pace the Sun Devil offense. JJ Sferra also knocked in two runs, part of his 2-4 afternoon.
The Devils jumped on the Huskies in the second inning, when Ryan Sontag got the scoring started with an RBI bunt single, scoring CJ Retherford. Sontag would come around to score on an RBI single by JJ Sferra, who would score himself on Curtis' two-run bomb off the 1977 National Championship sign in right field.
Bresnehan would take his 4-0 lead and cruise for six innings. ASU would add two more in the fifth, but NIU would finally scratch a run across in the sixth, scoring on a throwing error by Seth Dhaenens.
Josh Satow, Brady Martinez and Matt Trink would come in to close out the rest of the game, allowing two more runs. The Sun Devils would score two in the eighth as insurance on a Willy Fox two-run triple.
ASU had nine extra base hits in the three-game series, including six doubles. They scored 22 runs over the weekend, with Colin Curtis crossing home six times in the three games.
The Sun Devils will now head across the Valley for the Fourth Annual Coca-Cola Classic next weekend in Surprise, Ariz. ASU will take on Gonzaga Friday, Oregon State Saturday and Nevada Sunday. For more information, log on to www.TheSunDevils.com.