March 20, 2011
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State dropped the final game of the series with Oral Roberts on Sunday, losing 5-2. One big inning by the Golden Eagles was ASU's undoing, as the Sun Devil offense couldn't seem to find their rhythm all afternoon. ORU scored five times in the fifth, all the offense they would need to drop ASU to 15-4 on the year.
Starter Brady Rodgers cruised through the first four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth. Cam Schiller led off the inning by reaching on an error by Deven Marrero, and TJ Bennett drove him in with an RBI double. Brett Burch and Spencer Barnett then followed with RBI singles, and Brandon King capped off the scoring for the inning with a two-run double off the wall in right field. That was the end for Rodgers, as he allowed five runs (four earned) in 4.1 innings.
The Sun Devils cut into the deficit in the sixth, scoring two runs on an RBI groundout by Austin Barnes and a single by Joey DeMichele. But they would get no closer, as eight ORU pitchers kept the Devils off the board in every inning except the sixth.
Zack MacPhee, Zach Wilson and Matt Newman all had two hits in the loss.
ASU returns to action on Tuesday, with the first of a two-game series at Cal State Fullerton. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Goodwin Field.