April 30, 2013
Pac-12 Baseball Standings as of 11 p.m. PT, April 30, 2013 (rankings according to Baseball America):
No. 11 Oregon: 16-5, 34-10
No. 6 Oregon State: 14-4, 34-8 (0.5 GB)
No. 8 Arizona State: 11-7, 29-12-1 (3.5 GB)
No. 9 UCLA: 11-7, 28-13 (3.5 GB)
Stanford: 9-9, 24-15 (5.5 GB)
Arizona: 9-9, 28-15 (5.5 GB)
TUCSON, Ariz. - The eighth-ranked Arizona State University baseball team notched its 14th win this April with a 7-5 Territorial Cup victory on Tuesday night at Hi-Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz.
The Sun Devils (29-12-1, 11-7) rallied from a three-run deficit in the first inning to take 4-3 lead in the third inning, then fell behind again by one run in the fifth before scoring one in the sixth and two in the eighth to earn their fifth consecutive win.
ASU went 14-4 this past month and reached the 14-win mark in April for the first time since 1988.
Right-hander Darin Gillies (2-2) collected his second win in as many games and right-hander Ryan Burr (10) recorded his 10th save of the season with a flawless ninth inning. Freshman first baseman Dalton DiNatale led the way offensively with three RBI.
Starting right-hander Zak Miller scattered five hits across five innings and allowed five runs, including four earned, but took a no-decision.
Miller walked in the first run of the game in the opening inning after loading the bases on a double, a hit batter and a walk. An RBI fielder's choice and a throwing error in the following at-bat stretched the Devils' deficit to three after one frame. ASU responded with a run in the top of the second to get within two, 3-1, after designated hitter RJ Ybarra doubled, moved to third on a fly ball and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by DiNatale.
Left fielder Jake Peevyhouse led off the third inning with a home run over the right field wall and the Devils batted around in the frame as they took a one-run lead, 4-3. Consecutive singles by center fielder Kasey Coffman and third baseman Michael Benjamin, followed by a walk to Ybarra, loaded the bases for right fielder Trever Allen, who was hit by a pitch to bring in the tying run. DiNatale drove an RBI single up the middle two pitches later to score Benjamin and put ASU ahead.
A two out, two-run single up the middle by catcher Riley Moore in the fifth inning put the Devils down a run, 5-4, but ASU responded in the top half of the ensuing inning with a leadoff triple by catcher Nate Causey and an RBI single by Benjamin to knot the game at five runs apiece.
Left-hander Adam McCreery took the mound in the sixth inning and induced two quick outs, but put two runners on with a walk and a hit batter before ending the threat with a swinging strikeout.
ASU took a 7-5 lead in the top of the eighth on a bases loaded wild pitch and a bases loaded walk from right-hander Mathew Troupe. Causey was hit by a pitch to open the inning, second baseman James McDonald was intentionally walked and Ybarra singled to set up the eventual game-winning wild pitch to Allen. Allen and DiNatale then took consecutive walks to add to the Devils' advantage.
Left-hander Matt Dunbar recorded two outs in the seventh, but put two runners on base and was replaced by Gillies, who gave up a single to the first batter he faced before he induced a fielder's choice groundout to end the scoring threat.
Right-hander Josh McAlister allowed just one base runner in the eighth inning before Burr took over in the ninth, and struck out the first two batters swinging and induced a groundout to second to secure the win.
Burr's 10 saves are the second most by a freshman in school history and is one away from tying Jason Jarvis (2007) for the most in ASU annals.
Right-hander Tyger Talley did not factor in the decision as he gave up four runs on five hits in three innings. Right-hander Tyler Hale (0-1) took his first loss of the season after conceding three runs on three hits in three innings.
The two teams, which face each other five times this season, have now split the two non-conference contests in Tucson, and the Territorial Cup point will be awarded to the team that wins the three-game Pac-12 series at Packard Stadium May 17-19.
Up Next:
The Devils return to Tempe to host Stanford for a three-game Pac-12 series over the weekend. All three games will be broadcast by Tim Healey (@TimHealeyASU) and former Devil Seth Dhaenens (@sethdhaenens) on the MidFirst Bank Sun Devil IMG Sports Network on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060 and on the All-Access player on thesundevils.com. The series opener against the Cardinal on Friday begins at 7 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPNU, while the other two conference games will be streamed live over www.pac-12.com/live/thesundevils. First pitch on Saturday is 6:30 p.m. and Sunday's game is slated for a 12:30 p.m. start. Roxy Bernstein and Mike Rooney will have the call for Friday night's game.
Game Notes:
The Sun Devils are 20-11 against Arizona in the past six seasons, including 10-6 in Tucson...ASU currently leads the Wildcats in the Territorial Cup standings, 7.5-6.5...Head coach Tim Esmay is 10-7 against the Wildcats in his three seasons at ASU...the Devils have nine leadoff home runs this season...Benjamin extended his hitting streak to 13 games and Ybarra extended his reached base safely streak to 18 games.
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