May 12, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. - The never say die Devils were out in full force again on Saturday night, as they turned a 4-3 ninth inning deficit into a 5-4 walk-off win over UCLA in front of 3,157 fans at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. Matt Spencer did a little bit of everything, homering twice, pitching and getting the game winning hit, a bases loaded single to left to win it for Arizona State. The win puts ASU at 36-12, 13-4 in the Pac-10.
Spencer got the scoring started in the second, sending a shot to deep centerfield for his sixth homer of the year and a 1-0 lead. After an Andrew Romine double, UCLA walked the next three batters to force in a run and make it 2-0.
UCLA would take a 3-2 lead in the sixth off Josh Satow, but Spencer erased that deficit in the bottom of the sixth, crushing a ball to Rural Road to knot it up at three apiece on his second homer of the game. The Bruins would jump ahead in the seventh, scoring a run on a Scott Mueller wild pitch with two away.
It looked like that lead would hold up, as UCLA starter Tim Murphy was virtually unhittable for anyone not named Matt Spencer. Murphy went eight innings, striking out 14 and scattering six hits. After Ike Davis pitched out of trouble in the ninth, inducing a double play ball to end the inning, the Devils had one more chance to mount a comeback.
The Bruins replaced Murphy with their closer Brant Rustich, who promptly allowed a single to Brett Wallace. Rocky Laguna came in to run for Wallace, then advanced to second when Eric Sogard drew a walk. That was it for Rustich, as UCLA called upon freshman Charles Brewer to make his NCAA debut. Tim Smith pinch hit, and after failing to get a bunt down, he opted to swing away with two strikes. That paid off, as he singled to left, scoring Laguna and tying the game at four. Davis, a high school teammate of Brewer's at Chaparral, then laid down a perfect sac bunt to put runners at second and third with one out. The Bruins then opted to intentionally walk Petey Paramore and take their chances against Matt Spencer.
Spencer made them pay, depositing a 1-0 pitch in front of the leftfielder for a single, giving the Sun Devils the walk-off 5-4 victory. Spencer finished the evening 3-3 with three RBI, two solo homers, was hit by a pitch twice and had the game winning single. The only other Devil with multi-hits was Brett Wallace, who ended up 2-4.
Ike Davis picked up the win to move to 1-1 on the year, despite facing only one batter. Starter Josh Satow went 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, striking out four and walking five. Scott Mueller, Spencer and Jason Jarvis also pitched for Arizona State.
The Devils and Bruins will play the series finale tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. from Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark.