April 10, 2012
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Joey DeMichele hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning and right-hander Alex Blackford pitched six solid innings as the 21st-ranked Arizona State baseball team defeated New Mexico 3-1 on Tuesday night at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, N.M.
Blackford (1-2) recorded his first win of the season after he gave up just one earned run on only three hits and struck out five in six innings pitched.
DeMichele hit his sixth home run of the season with the Sun Devils (20-13) trailing by one in the sixth inning to give ASU the lead, 2-1. He scored Marrero, who started the two-out rally with a single.
Right-hander Jake Barrett (6) collected the save after striking out three in the ninth inning.
James McDonald, who walked and advanced to third on a double down the left-field line by Beau Maggi, scored on a wild pitch to extend the Devils' advantage, 3-1.
Right-hander Joseph Lopez threw 1 1/3 perfect innings before left-hander Matt Dunbar and right-hander Robert Ravago combined to finish out the eighth.
The Lobos got on the scoreboard first with an RBI sacrifice fly after Mitchell Garver led off the fourth frame with a triple.
Right-hander Sam Wolff (0-2) lasted six innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits to go with five strikeouts.
The Sun Devils host USC for a three-game Pac-12 conference series Friday-Sunday at Packard Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. The game on Friday, April 13, will be a blackout game with the Devils debuting new hats and jerseys. First pitch for that game, as well as the one on Saturday, April 14, is set for 6:30 p.m., while the game on Sunday, April 15, is slated for 12:30 p.m. All three games will be broadcast live on The Fan AM 1060, with Tim Healey and Seth Dhaenens on the call, and FoxSportsArizona.com will be live streaming them.
Game notes: Andrew Aplin has reached base successfully in 15 straight games after singling in the third inning...catcher Beau Maggi twice threw out the Lobos attempting to steal second.