April 3, 2010
EUGENE, Ore. - Arizona State's 24-game winning streak came to an end on Friday night in Eugene as the Sun Devils fell 6-5 to Oregon at PK Park in 12 innings. The defeat makes ASU 24-1 on the year, 4-1 in Pac-10 play. The game featured an hour and five minutes of rain and lightning delays, as various forms of precipitation fell throughout the game.
Oregon pushed a run across in the bottom of the 12th inning against Brady Rodgers to send the Ducks to the walk-off victory. J.J. Altobelli bunted to third base for a single, but Riccio Torrez's throw was wild, allowing Altobelli to advance to second. Marcus Piazzisi would end the game with two outs on an RBI single to center.
Rodgers took the loss, dropping him to 1-1 on the year. He was one of five Sun Devil pitchers to throw on the night. Merrill Kelly got the start, going 4.2 innings and getting a no decision. Mitchell Lambson, Jake Barrett and Jordan Swagerty followed before Rodgers threw the 12th.
Kole Calhoun put the Sun Devils on the board in the top of the first, sending a solo blast over the right field wall for a 1-0 ASU lead. It was Calhoun's third homer of the year.
The ASU defense would let them down in the second inning, as two Sun Devil errors led to four unearned Duck runs to give Oregon a 4-1 lead after two. Arizona State would get a run back in both the third and fourth innings to cut the lead to 4-3. Drew Maggi brought home Austin Barnes on an infield single in the third to make it 4-2, then Deven Marrero singled home Johnny Ruettiger in the fourth to make it 4-3. The Devils had a chance to tie it in the fourth, but Barnes was thrown out at home on a Maggi single to end the inning.
Arizona State would finally break through against the Oregon bullpen in the top of the ninth, plating two runs off Duck closer Drew Gagnier to go up 5-4. After a one-out walk to Maggi and a base hit by Zack MacPhee put runners on the corners, Kole Calhoun took a called strike three for the second out. But Oregon catcher Eddie Rodriguez couldn't hold onto the ball, allowing Maggi to come home with the tying run on the passed ball. Rodriguez picked up the ball and tried to throw out MacPhee, but his throw went into left field, allowing MacPhee to score the go ahead run.
Oregon would not go away, as they scored a run off Jordan Swagerty in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. Swagerty would throw three innings, allowing the one run on three hits with four strike outs.
Arizona State had plenty of opportunities to pull ahead, but the Sun Devils stranded 10 runners on the night, including six in scoring position. Drew Maggi was 3-5 with an RBI to lead the Sun Devil offense. Zack MacPhee collected two hits in the loss.
Arizona State committed three errors, as five of the six Oregon runs that scored were unearned.
The Sun Devils and Ducks will wrap up their three-game series Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. from PK Park.