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TEMPE, Ariz. - Sophomore left fielder Chris Beall plated the game-winning run with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the 25th-ranked Arizona State University baseball team a 3-2 series-opening win over Cal on Friday night at Packard Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
The Sun Devils (18-13, 8-5) have won seven of their past nine Pac-12 Conference games, including four in extra innings. Head coach Tim Esmay tallied his 399th career win, including his 184th at ASU. His 79 conference victories at ASU are the most by any coach in school history through their first five seasons.
Junior right fielder Jake Peevyhouse advanced to second base to start the bottom of the 10th after his grounder to the Bears (14-16, 3-7) second baseman was misplayed and Beall delivered the walk-off base hit in the next at-bat to give ASU its third consecutive win over Cal.
Junior right-hander Cory Bernard (1-0) pitched a scoreless top of the 10th to earn his first career win at ASU. Bernard coerced a groundout to begin the frame and hit the following the batter, but he struck out designated hitter Devon Rodriguez and freshman catcher Brian Serven connected with freshman shortstop Colby Woodmansee to catch the runner stealing second and end the frame.
Sophomore third baseman Dalton DiNatale went 4-for-5 to match his career high and sophomore designated hitter RJ Ybarra knocked in his 12th RBI in the past four games.
Sophomore starting left-hander Brett Lilek scattered six hits and two runs across seven innings, and struck out five and did not issue a walk in the no-decision. He retired nine consecutive batters in the first four frames and recorded four perfect innings.
Sophomore right-hander Jordan Aboites took over in the top of the eighth and worked himself out of back-to-back jams. He put a pair of runners on base via a hit batter and a single in the eighth, but induced a flyout to center field to end the inning and the scoring threat. Aboites allowed two more Bears to reach base in the top of the ninth, but he retired three in a row, including a swinging strike for the final out, to strand them.
Sophomore center fielder Johnny Sewald was hit by a pitch to lead off the first and advanced to second a sacrifice bunt and third on a grounder before he was plated by Ybarra to give the Devils an early 1-0 advantage.
Rodriguez hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth to tie the game at one run apiece, but ASU countered in the bottom half of the frame to retake the lead, 2-1. Peevyhouse moved into scoring position on a leadoff single and a stolen base, and Woodmansee broke open the tie two batters later with an RBI single to right-center field.
The Bears once again tied the game in the top of the seventh with a pair of doubles by Nick Halamandaris and Mitchell Kranson.
A leadoff walk by Sewald and two wild pitches put him at third base with no outs in the top of the ninth. Consecutive intentional walks to junior second baseman Drew Stankiewicz and junior first baseman Nate Causey then loaded the bases, but the Devils were unable to capitalize in three straight at-bats. Ybarra struck out swinging before DiNatale hit a high chopper through the right side for the apparent game winner, but Causey was called out on runners interference. Serven grounded out to the pitcher in the next at-bat to end the inning with the bases loaded.
Cal right-hander Trevor Hildenberger (1-2) took the loss and starting right-hander Daulton Jefferies allowed two runs on nine hits and struck out four in a seven-inning no-decision.
Notes
ASU moved to 113-59 all-time against Cal…ASU moved to 4-1 in extra-innings this season and have played an extra-innings game in each of their five Pac-12 series’…Ybarra has nine hits and 12 RBI in his past four games.
Weekend Promotions
Tip Your Cap To Coach Bobby Winkles and the Baseball Program from 1907-59
The baseball program will hold a special pregame ceremony for legendary coach Bobby Winkles and former players on Saturday, April 12.
13 combined National Champions are among the more than 30 players returning, which also includes:
John Jacobs, ASU Hall of Famer
Paul Ray Powell, 1969 National Player of the Year
Doug Nurnberg, all-time saves leader
Sterling Slaughter, the first All-American in school history
Tip Your Cap To The Early Years
Dr. Christine K. Wilkinson, Senior Vice President and Secretary of the University, will be recognized in a pregame ceremony on Sunday, April 13. Dr. Wilkinson is the daughter of legendary former football, basketball and baseball coach Bill Kajikawa. Coach Kajikawa was the skipper of the baseball team for seven seasons (1940, 46-50, 52).
Up Next
The Sun Devils host Cal for game two of the three-game series on Saturday, April 12, at 6:30 pm. The game will be streamed online via the Sun Devils’ Pac-12.com channel and will be broadcast on NBC Sports AM 1060 by Tim Healey (PxP, @TimHealeyASU) and Seth Dhaenens (color, @sethdhaenens). Live stats will also be available on thesundevils.com.
Saturday’s Projected Rotation
Cal: LHP Kyle Porter (4-2, 2.72)
ASU: LHP Ryan Kellogg (3-2, 4.56)
All-Packard Team
Visit azcentral.com to vote for the All-Packard Team or fill out a ballot on gameday at Packard Stadium to make your choice for the best to wear the Maroon and Gold in the past 40 years. Voting ends April 16.
Single-game tickets, Mini Packs and Flex Plans are on sale now. Admission for ASU students is free with a valid Sun Card. Purchasing season tickets will also give fans first opportunity and priority at selecting seats at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in 2015. Ariz.
Join the conversation all season using the hashtag #OccupyPackard
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