Feb. 20, 2009
TEMPE, Ariz. - Pitcher Josh Spence threw six shutout innings and outfielder Matt Newman had a home run and five RBI as the No. 6 Arizona State University baseball team opened the 2009 season with a 15-3 victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Friday night in front of a crowd of 2,532 at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark.
Spence, one of 13 Sun Devils to make their collegiate debut in the game, struck out six and allowed just two hits to earn the win.
Newman went 3-4 at the plate, while Jason Kipnis was 4-4 and scored four runs to lead the offense. ASU had 15 hits in the game, including four triples.
Newman hit a two-run homer to center in the first to put the Sun Devils on the board. They added four more runs in the second, and Kipnis had an RBI single in the fourth to stretch the lead to 7-0.
The Devils broke the game with seven runs in the sixth, as Newman had a two-run single, Carlos Ramirez had an RBI single, Kole Calhoun had a two-RBI triple and then scored on a wild pitch and Abe Ruiz had a sacrifice fly to cap off the inning. Johnny Ruettiger added an RBI single in the seventh to make it 15-0, and the Panthers scored three unearned runs in the top of the ninth.
Five Sun Devils - Calhoun, Ramirez, Ruiz, Ruettiger and Drew Maggi - all drove in their first career runs in the win.
ASU and Wisconsin-Milwaukee will play a doubleheader tomorrow, with the first game starting at 1 p.m.