March 31, 2006
PULLMAN, Wash. - After dropping the first game against the Cougars earlier in the day, the Arizona State Sun Devils bounced back to take the second game 8-3, thanks to a strong relief outing by Brady Martinez and some clutch hitting by Andrew Romine. ASU improves to 22-8 and 1-1 in the Pac-10.
The Cougars crossed the plate first, taking a 1-0 lead after the first inning off starter Matt Trink. The Sun Devils put three on the board in the fourth off Wazzu starter Mike Wagner. After Brett Wallace and Eric Sogard reached, catcher Preston Paramore sent them both home with a double to left center. Paramore would come around to score on a single to right by Rocky Laguna. That put the Devils up 3-1.
After the Cougars tied the game at three in the fifth, Paramore would strike again in the sixth inning. With Wallace on second, Paramore sent a single up the middle to score Wallace and put ASU back on top 4-3.
The Devils would add another run in the seventh when Ike Davis singled home Colin Curtis for a 5-3 lead, and added one more in the eighth when CJ Retherford scored Laguna with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3.
The Devils got some big insurance in the ninth. Davis singled and Willy Fox walked, setting the stage for Andrew Romine. In only his second game back from rib removal surgery, Romine singled through the left side to score Davis and Fox and give the Devils a commanding 8-3 lead.
Brady Martinez closed out the Cougars in the ninth, giving ASU the victory. Martinez was stellar, entering in the fifth and striking out seven and allowing only one hit to earn his third win of the year.
Paramore finished the night 3-5 with three RBI, and Rocky Laguna added three hits of his own and an RBI for the Devils. ASU and WSU will play the rubber game of the three-game set tomorrow at 1 PM.