March 26, 2006
TEMPE, Ariz. - The #17 Sun Devils held on to sweep past the Penn State Nittany Lions, 9-7 on Sunday afternoon at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. After ASU jumped out to a 6-1 lead, but Penn State came back to tie the game at 7-7 before Ryan Sontag doubled home the go ahead runs. With the win, Arizona State improves to 21-7 on the season, and sweeps their fourth series.
Pat Bresnehan got the starting nod for ASU, his first extended action since injuring himself against Baylor in February. He lasted 4.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out five.
Penn State began the scoring with one run in the second inning, but the Devils answered when Ike Davis hit a towering homer to center field. It was the fifth round-tripper of the year for Davis, and his 40th RBI. The Sun Devil scoring continued in the second as Ryan Sontag grounded out at first, to score Seth Dhaenens. Matt Hall then doubled down the left field line to knock in CJ Retherford. Colin Curtis finished off the scoring for the Devils in the second inning with a single to the left side, bringing in Hall. The Sun Devils held a 4-1 lead after two.
The Devils continued the scoring in the third inning as JJ Sferra scored on a single by Willy Fox to centerfield. Later in the inning, Fox scored on a single by Dhaenens.
Penn State put up five runs to tie the game in the top of the fifth inning, but the Sun Devils regained the lead on a single by Preston Paramore, bringing home Dhaenens in the bottom of the fifth. The Nittany Lions kept pace with the Devils, tying the game in the sixth off of Matt Trink.
With the game deadlocked at seven in the seventh, Seth Dhaenens led the inning off with a single to third. Eric Sogard then walked to put two on. Ryan Sontag put the Devils back up for good, doubling to deep center off of Aaron Markowitz to score Dhaenens and Sogard and give ASU a 9-7 lead.
Zechry Zinicola finished out the game to pick up his fifth save of the season and second of the series. Trink picked up the win, improving his record to 2-0.
The Sun Devils travel to Pullman, Wash., this week to take on the Cougars of Washington State for a three game series starting Thursday, March 30 at 6 PM. It is the Pac-10 opener for ASU. The Sun Devils return to the Valley to take on in-state rival, the University of Arizona Wildcats, Sunday at Chase Field in Phoenix. First pitch is set for 5 PM for the Challenge at Chase.