SATURDAY RADIO on The Fan AM 1060 | SATURDAY STATS
SURPRISE, Ariz. - Right-hander Trevor Williams allowed just five base runners in a complete game as the 24th-ranked Arizona State University baseball team took down Pacific, 8-1, on Friday at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz.
Williams improved to 2-0 on the season as he tied his career high with nine strikeouts and did not a walk a batter for the seventh time in 18 career starts. He gave up a leadoff double to start the first inning before retiring 20 of the next 21 batters, and had a shutout going until one run crossed the plate with two outs in the ninth.
Williams has struck out 21 and surrendered just three earned runs and three walks in 21 innings this season.
Freshman first baseman David Graybill paced the Sun Devils (6-2) with three RBI and third baseman Michael Benjamin added a pair of doubles as ASU racked up 14 hits, including five for extra bases.
The Sun Devils jumped out to a quick start as they scored a run in both the first and second innings. Center fielder Kasey Coffman led off the opening frame with a triple and shortstop Drew Stankiewicz drove him home in the following at-bat with an RBI groundout. Benjamin began the second with a lead-off double before left fielder Jake Peevyhouse plated him with an RBI single, his first of the season.
ASU notched five runs as they batted around in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Graybill knocked a two-run single up the middle to start the scoring, and Coffman, Stankiewicz and second baseman James McDonald each collected an RBI in the frame.
Kyle Bilbrey pinch hit in the seventh inning and recorded his first career base knock and scored his first career run two batters later on an RBI single by Graybill.
The Tigers (3-5) broke up the shutout in the top of the ninth on a single, a double and an RBI groundout, before Williams struck out the final batter of the game.
Pacific starting left-hander John Haberman (0-1) gave up seven earned runs on eight hits in three innings to take his first loss of the season.
Up Next:
The Sun Devils face No. 2 Arkansas in a rematch of Thursday's game at 4 p.m. (MT) on March 2 at Surprise Stadium. ASU won the first round, 3-2. The game is the latter half of a doubleheader with the Cactus League as the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants take on the Kansas City Royals at 1:05 p.m. Saturday's game is the first one of the season broadcast on The Fan AM 1060 and through the Sun Devils all-access player. Follow the team on Twitter at @ASU_Baseball for live scoring and updates from the weekend, and check thesundevils.com for stats, notes and more.
Pitching Matchup
Saturday
ASU -Fr. LHP Ryan Kellogg (2-0, 1.00)
UA - Fr. RHP Trey Killian (1-0, 0.00)
Game Notes: Coach Esmay collected his 350th career win and is 13 away from his 150th at ASU...coach Esmay moves to 59-13 all-time against non-conference foes....McDonald, Rossiter and Coffman have each reached base in eight consecutive games...Benjamin and Rossiter extended their team-leading hitting streaks to seven games...five Sun Devils collected multi-hit games...Graybill improved to 7-of-12 from the plate this season.
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