March 22, 2008
TEMPE, Ariz. -
By Matt Storey
Arizona State defeated Florida International 10-5 in the opening game of the doubleheader Saturday night. ASU improves to 20-1 on the year.
The Sun Devils fell behind 1-0 when starting pitcher Stephen Sauer issued a bases-loaded walk in the fourth, but they surmounted that lead with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Matt Newman drove in two with a triple to right center, and Raoul Torrez then drove in Newman with a single up the middle.
The Golden Panthers took the lead back in the fifth with four runs, but ASU again answered in the bottom of the inning by tying the game with an RBI double by Ike Davis and a groundout by Petey Paramore that scored Davis.
Jason Kipnis then hit his eighth home run of the season in the seventh, a two-run blast to right, that gave the Sun Devils a 7-5 lead. They added three more in the eighth on an RBI single by Torrez and a two-run single by Davis.
Senior Tommy Rafferty earned the victory with three innings out of the bullpen to improve to 3-0, while Davis got his second save with two shutout innings.
Davis, Kipnis, Torrez and Brett Wallace all had two hits each to lead the ASU offense.