June 2, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. - Needing a win to advance to the Tempe Regional championship, the Sun Devils turned to freshman righty Mike Leake to face UC Riverside on Saturday night. Leake delivered, allowing only four hits and two runs while striking out ten in a complete game, leading Arizona State to a 9-2 victory in front of 3,876 at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. Leake improves to 13-1 on the season, while the Sun Devils now sit at 45-13 on the year.
The Highlanders, the game's designated home team, scored off Leake in the bottom of the second, grabbing a 1-0 lead in an RBI single by Ben Price. ASU grabbed the lead in the fourth, as an Ike Davis RBI ground out and a Petey Paramore RBI double put the Devils up 2-1.
Arizona State broke it open in the seventh, plating six runs off three UC Riverside pitchers. Eric Sogard starting things with and RBI single that scored Raoul Torrez to make it 3-1. With the bases loaded, Kiel Roling drew a walk to bring home Tim Smith, then an sac fly by Davis scored Brett Wallace. A Paramore single brought home Sogard to make it 6-1. Andrew Romine then sent a laser beam off the wall in right center for a triple, bringing home Roling and Paramore to make it 8-1.
UC Riverside would score one in the bottom of the seventh, but a Matt Spencer single to left scored Rocky Laguna in the ninth to make it 9-2. Leake came out for the ninth and finished off the Highlanders to send ASU to the Regional Championship tomorrow night at 7 p.m. against the winner of the Nebraska/UC Riverside winner. Nebraska eliminated Monmouth 6-5 in the first game of the day.
Tim Smith and Eric Sogard each had a pair of hits, while Petey Paramore was 3-4 with two RBI. The win is the 525th for head coach Pat Murphy at Arizona State, moving him past Bobby Winkles for second most in school history.