May 20, 2006
TUCSON, Ariz. - Despite holding a 6-0 lead in the second inning, the Arizona State Sun Devils dropped a 18-12 decision to the Arizona Wildcats Saturday night at Kindall Field in Tucson. ASU lost leads of 6-0 and 8-7, dropping to 33-18, 11-9 in Pac-10 play. Zechry Zinicola (2-3) took the loss for the Devils while David Coulon earned his third win of the season.
The Sun Devils got the scoring started early, pushing three across in the top of the first without hitting a ball out of the infield. After an infield single and a stolen base by Willy Fox, Colin Curtis walked to put runners on first and second. Eric Sogard then bunted a ball up the third base line for another infield hit. With the bases loaded, Ike Davis singled to second base to score Fox. Curtis came around to score on a throwing error by the second baseman to make it 2-0. Brett Wallace then singled home Sogard for the third ASU run. Arizona State would add three more in the second inning on an Eric Sogard three-run blast to make it 6-0.
The Wildcats would answer back in the bottom of the second, scoring five runs off starter Josh Satow. Jason Donald cut it to 6-1 with a solo shot to right, then one batter later Jon Gaston would homer down the right field line to cut the ASU lead to 6-2. Arizona would add two more before Satow gave way to Zechry Zinicola. Zinicola induced a ground ball to short, but Andrew Romine couldn't make the play, allowing an unearned run to score to make it 6-5 ASU after two.
The Cats would pull even in the third inning on an RBI single by Travis Peep, then take the lead when Romine's throw to first ended up in the Arizona dugout, allowing Jon Gaston to score to make it 7-6 Wildcats.
The Devils would even things at seven in the fourth after a Colin Curtis triple, followed by an Eric Sogard RBI groundout. Frank Mesa would give the Devils an 8-7 lead in the fifth when he homered to right field. The Cats would not be down for long, as Colt Sedbrook hit a two-run shot to left center off Zinicola to make it 9-8 Arizona. That was it for Zinicola, who allowed four runs, three earned, in three innings of work. Arizona would add three more in the inning, giving the Cats a 12-8 lead after five. They would tack on three more in the sixth to make it 15-8.
ASU would mount a comeback in the eighth, plating four runs off Daniel Schlereth, but UA would add three runs in the eighth to finish off the 18-12 win. Schlereth earned the save, his fifth of the season.
Coulon picked up the win despite allowing eight runs and walking five in his five innings of work. The Devils used seven pitchers in the loss, despite a 3-5, five RBI night by Eric Sogard. 19 different Sun Devils saw playing time in the loss.
The rubber match between the two rivals is set for Noon Sunday from Kindall Field in Tucson.