April 20, 2012
PALO ALTO, Calif. - The 19th-ranked Arizona State baseball team gave up a season-high 17 runs as No. 8 Stanford used four big innings to defeat the Sun Devils, 17-5, on Friday night at Sunken Diamond in Palo Alto, Calif.
Rouric Bridgewater and Max Rossiter each collected a pair of RBI on two hits to lead the Sun Devils (24-14, 9-7), who led by one run after four innings before Stanford scored 15 runs over the next four frames.
Right-hander Brady Rodgers (6-2) took his second loss of the season after giving up eight runs, including six earned, on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Right-hander Joseph Lopez replaced Rodgers with one out in the sixth inning after he loaded the bases on three singles. Lopez walked the first batter he faced to bring in a run before a passed ball scored another.
Right-hander Mark Appel (5-1) earned the win after going six innings, giving up three runs, including two earned, on six hits.
Alex Blandino ended the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning with a home run to left field and Stephen Piscotty added an RBI single to put the Cardinal (23-10, 6-7) on top, 2-0.
Both Joey DeMichele and Abe Ruiz walked to lead off the top of the fourth inning, and James McDonald moved them over with a sacrifice bunt before Rossiter brought the pair home with a two-run single. Bridgewater followed with an RBI single to put the Sun Devils ahead, 3-2.
Stanford responded with a trio of runs in the bottom of the fifth and four runs in the sixth to retake the lead, 9-3.
Blandino hit his second home run of the game in the seventh frame after back-to-back leadoff singles, and a walk with the bases loaded scored another as the Cardinal took a 10-run advantage with their second consecutive four-run inning.
ASU scored two runs in the eighth inning behind a throwing error and two passed balls by Stanford. McDonald struck out to begin the frame, but reached first on an error, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on an RBI single by Bridgewater. Bridgewater scored two batters later on a passed ball to cut the deficit to eight, 13-5.
Stanford added four runs in the eighth inning to add to their lead, 17-5.
The Sun Devils return to Sunken Diamond on Saturday for game two against the Cardinal. First pitch is set for 1 p.m., and Tim Healey and Seth Dhaenens will have the call for Sun Devil Sports Network on The Fan AM 1060.
Saturday's projected pitching matchup:
ASU - RHP Trevor Williams (7-2, 1.41 ERA)
Stanford - LHP Brett Mooneyham (5-3, 3.18 ERA)
Game notes: Left-hander Brandon Bonilla, making his first collegiate Pac-12 appearance, struck out the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh inning...the attendance was 2,074...Rodgers' six earned runs and 11 hits are a season-high...the 17 runs allowed is a season-high...game time was 3 hours, 11 minutes.