April 15, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. - Thanks to three hits and two RBI by team captain Rocky Laguna, the Arizona State Sun Devil raced past the Washington State Cougars 16-6, sweeping the three-game Pac-10 series. ASU has swept Pac-10 opponents on back-to-back weekends for the first time since 2005, improving their record to 29-10, 10-2 in conference play.
The Cougars took a 1-0 lead after a home run off starter Brian Flores in the 4th, but the Devils answered back with five runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-1. After an RBI ground out by Brett Wallace evened things up, Eric Sogard picked up a bunt single, bringing home another run. Matt Spencer plated three with his RBI double to right after the Devils loaded the bases after an intentional walk to Petey Paramore.
Fireworks erupted in the sixth inning, after the Cougars had cut the lead to 6-3. With runners on first and second, Rocky Laguna singled through the right side, scoring Spencer and putting ASU up 7-3. Washington State head coach Donnie Marbut came out of the dugout to argue that the ground ball had struck Kiel Roling as Roling advanced to second base. The umpires did not agree, and when the dust settled, both Marbut and Cougar centerfielder Zach Borba had been ejected from the game. Once order was restored, the Devils would score two more. Andrew Romine bunted home a run, then a single by Raoul Torrez brought home Laguna for a 9-3 lead.
Arizona State would score six runs in the seventh, including Eric Sogard's two-run homer, his seventh of the year. They would add another in the eighth after the Cougars plated three off Brian Flores in the top half of the inning.
Flores (7-1) got the win after his 7.1 innings of work in which he allowed six runs on nine hits. Scott Mueller recorded the final five outs of the game to secure the victory.
Rocky Laguna was 3-4 with three runs scored and two RBI, on of six Devils with multiple hits. Brett Wallace, Eric Sogard, Kiel Roling, Andrew Romine and Raoul Torrez each had two hits apiece. Matt Spencer, Sogard and Romine all knocked in three, while Wallace, Laguna and Torrez all had two RBI.
The Devils now take a weekend off from Pac-10 play, as they play host to Louisiana-Lafayette next weekend at Packard Stadium. The three-game series gets underway Friday night.