March 28, 2012
TEMPE, Ariz. - The 14th-ranked Arizona State baseball team lost to No. 13 Cal State Fullerton, 9-5, on Wednesday night in front of a season-high 3,915 fans at Packard Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. The Sun Devils split their midweek series with Fullerton at one game apiece.
Four Sun Devils (16-9) each collected two hits and right-hander Billy Young (0-1) took the loss in his first career start at ASU after giving up three earned runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings.
The Titans (15-9) took the early one-run lead on an RBI single in the top of the first inning.
The Sun Devils evened the score, 1-1, in the following frame on an RBI single by Nathaniel Causey, who scored Trever Allen from third.
Fullerton added three runs in the top of the fourth inning to retake the lead, 4-1. Young gave up a pair of singles with one out and was replaced by Alex Blackford, who conceded a pair of RBI singles and an RBI groundout.
Andrew Aplin scored Causey from second on an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning to bring the Devils within two, 4-2.
CSF extended their lead to four with an RBI groundout and an RBI single in the top of the seventh.
ASU answered with two runs in the bottom of the eighth pull within two, but Fullerton responded with three runs in the top of the ninth to stretch its advantage to five, 9-4.
The Sun Devils tacked on a run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI double by Abe Ruiz.
Left-hander Tyler Peitzmeier earned his first win of the season after allowing one earned run on four hits in 3 1/3 innings. Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (9) got the save after pitching the final 1 1/3 innings.
The Sun Devils travel to Eugene, Ore., to take on the Oregon Ducks for a three-game series over the weekend. The first contest will begin at 6 p.m. (PT) on Friday, Saturday's game is slated for 2 p.m. (PT) and Sunday's game is slated for 12 p.m. (PT). All three games will be broadcast live on KDUS The Fan 1060 Am, with Tim Healey and Seth Dhaenens on the call.