March 16, 2012
LOS ANGELES - The 11th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devil baseball team jumped out to a five-run lead in the third inning, but lost, 6-5, to UCLA in its Pac-12 conference opener Friday night on a walk-off home run at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles.
Right-hander Brady Rodgers pitched eight innings, including seven scoreless, and gave up four earned runs on 10 hits in a no-decision. He allowed just one baserunner through the first five innings before conceding five runs, including four earned, in the sixth inning.
The Sun Devils (11-6, 0-1) took an early 5-0 lead in the third inning behind a three-run home run by Trever Allen and a two-run triple by Deven Marrero. Marrero went 2-for-4 in the game with two RBI and a run scored.
Drew Stankiewicz walked and Andrew Aplin followed with a double to put a pair on base for Marrero, who hit a two-run triple to give the Devils the initial 2-0 lead in the third frame. Allen hit a three-run homer to left field two batters later, scoring Abe Ruiz from first, to put ASU on top, 5-0.
Bruins (14-3, 1-0) second baseman Kevin Williams hit a home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Bruins the win, 6-5.
Right-hander Jake Barrett (1-2) took the mound in the ninth inning, coercing the leadoff batter into a groundout and striking out the next Bruin before surrendering the game-winning homer.
UCLA right-hander Adam Plutko went 7 and 1/3 innings in a no-decision, giving up five earned runs, all in the third inning, on four hits while striking out three.
Bruins right-hander David Berg earned the win (1-0) after throwing 2/3 scoreless innings.
Four Bruins collected RBI in the sixth inning, including a pair for Gelalich, to tie the game at five runs apiece. UCLA batted around in the frame and recorded six hits, including three consecutive singles, before Rodgers induced a fly out to center field and a groundout to end the inning.
The Sun Devils are set to face UCLA in game two of their Pac-12 conference-opening series at 2 p.m. (PT) on Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Game notes: ASU is now 28-22 all-time in conference openers, including 0-1 in Pac-12 play, 18-14 in Pac-10 games and 10-7 in the WAC...ASU is 3-4 all-time in conference openers against UCLA, including 2-3 at Jackie Robinson Stadium...with his double in the third inning, Aplin has now reached base successfully in all 17 games this season...the Devils closed out the Bruins with double plays in both the seventh and eighth innings.