Feb. 23, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. - On a blustery night in Tempe, the Sun Devils were able to fend off the UAB Blazers for an 11-3 victory in front of 3,109 at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. Josh Satow pitched 5.2 innings, allowing only two hits and striking out six to pick up the win, upping his record to 3-1. ASU improves to 8-3 on the season.
UAB got on the board first, pushing a run across in the second on an RBI ground out. The Sun Devils would even things up in the third with an Eric Sogard RBI single that scored Andrew Romine.
Arizona State would blow it open in the sixth inning, scoring six times to take a 7-1 lead. Three straight singles to start the inning had the bases loaded for Ike Davis. Davis knocked Matt Hall home with his ground out to the second baseman. The Blazers then walked Matt Spencer intentionally to load the bases, setting up Kiel Roling for a sacrifice fly that scored Brett Wallace to make it 3-1. Then things got wacky for the Blazers pitching staff. With Sogard on third, UAB starter Brandon Wallace threw a wild pitch to the backstop. That allowed Sogard to score, but the throw from the catcher went into the Sun Devil dugout, allowing Spencer to score from second. That made it 5-1 Devils. ASU would later add another run on a bases loaded walk to Joe Persichina, then made it 7-1 when Tim Smith scored on a wild pitch by Kyle Roberson.
When the dust had settled, the Sun Devils had a 7-1 lead after five innings of play. UAB would get two back in the sixth, but ASU would score once in the seventh and three times in the eighth to put the game away, 11-3.
Satow went 5.1 innings and allowed three runs (one earned) while fanning six. Mike Leake came on for him in the sixth, going 2.2, allowing only one hit and striking out three.
Eric Sogard went 4-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Brett Wallace and Ike Davis each contributed two hits apiece.
The Devils and Blazers will do it again on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. Brian Flores is expected to get the start on the hill for the Sun Devils.