May 27, 2006
TEMPE, Ariz. - After falling behind by three runs early, the Sun Devils got a spark from Mike Jones and another sterling performance by starter Tony Barnette to knock off the Bears 9-3 Saturday night at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. The Sun Devils improved their record to 35-19 overall and 13-10 in Pac-10 play with the victory. Jones, a wide receiver on ASU's football team, went 2-3 in his first plate appearances of the season, singling twice and knocking in the eventual game-winning run.
Barnette was outstanding, picking up a win for the fifth straight decision to run his record to 6-1. Barnette struck out ten over seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits.
Cal scored twice in the opening frame off Barnette and once in the second to take a 3-0 lead, but Barnette would throw five scoreless innings from that point on. He allowed six hits through the first two innings, but only one more man would reach base on him until he was replaced by Brett Bordes in the eighth.
ASU began to chip away at the Cal lead in the fourth when Ike Davis scored Colin Curtis on a ground out to make it 3-1. The Devils would then tie it up in the sixth on Eric Sogard's ninth homer of the year. The two-run shot to right field made it three apiece after six.
In the seventh, Brett Wallace and Joe Persichina both walked, and with two away Jones would deliver an RBI single to center that brought Wallace home. That made it 4-3 Devils, but Arizona State was not finished. Willy Fox would bring Persichina home with his double down the right field line, then Curtis would plate two more with a single up the middle. That made it 7-3 Devils, more than enough for Tony Barnette. ASU would score twice more in the eighth, including a Wallace RBI single.
Seven Sun Devils recorded RBI, and the glove of Eric Sogard provided a defensive spark to help lead ASU to the win. Mike Jones finished 2-3 with an RBI on the night, his second straight start in center, but the first to yield plate appearances. The Devils and Bears will close out the regular season tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1 PM.