LOS ANGELES – A five-run first inning set the tone for No. 12 Sun Devil Baseball as they took down No. 17 USC, 11-3, on Friday night at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles.
Arizona State’s offense tallied 17 hits, its most in Pac-12 play and the second-most this season, and notched double-digit runs for the first time since April 26 and the third time in conference. First baseman Joey Bielek, left fielder Jake Peevyhouse and shortstop Colby Woodmansee combined for nine hits, including two home runs, seven RBI and six runs scored as nine different Sun Devils (34-19, 18-10) registered a hit.
A triple and two home runs highlighted the Devils’ five-run first inning, and they scored six runs in the latter third of the game to pick up their 12th win of the season against a ranked opponent.
Right-hander Darin Gillies (3-5) earned the win as he was responsible for just one run across five innings, the longest relief outing of his career, and stranded eight runners on base, including four in scoring position. He struck out six and allowed six hits and three walks in his 25th appearance of the season.
Bielek tied his season high with three hits and scored two runs, Peevyhouse tied his career high with three hits, and drove in two runs and scored twice, and Woodmansee tied his career high with four RBI and three hits.
Sewald opened the first inning with a triple and scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to right field by third baseman David Greer. Woodmansee followed with a three-run homer to plate right fielder Trever Allen and Peevyhouse, who each reached base via a walk, and Bielek drove a solo home run over the left-field wall two pitches later to cap the frame.
The Trojans (35-19, 16-12) used a pair of leadoff home runs and a sacrifice fly to pull within two, 5-3, through six innings. USC center fielder Timmy Robinson and second baseman Dante Flores led off the bottom of the second and sixth innings, respectively, with solo home runs, and first baseman Jeremy Martinez used three walks to score in the fourth.
Gillies took over with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the fourth, and limited the Trojans to just one run on a sacrifice fly. USC loaded the bases again in the frame after a two-out walk, but Gillies struck out right fielder AJ Ramirez to end the threat. Gillies stranded two more Trojans in scoring position in the fifth inning with a looking strikeout to Robinson, and used a strikeout and fly ball to leave a pair on base in the eighth.
Greer drove home Peevyhouse with a RBI double in the seventh inning to stretch ASU’s lead back to three, 6-3, and the Devils used four hits in the eighth, including three singles and a two-run double, to push its advantage to six. Allen opened the ninth with a double off the left-field wall, and Woodmansee and designated hitter Dalton DiNatale each notched a RBI single to put ASU ahead by eight.
Starting left-hander Brett Lilek was chased with one out in the fourth inning after he issued three consecutive walks. He allowed two runs on two hits and four walks in his first series-opening start since Feb. 20. Right-hander Eric Melbostad recorded the final two outs of the game in the ninth.
USC starting right-hander Kyle Davis (3-2) put together five consecutive scoreless frames after the five-run first inning, but took the loss after he was replaced prior to the seventh.
Notes
Sewald has a hit in 11 of the past 12 games, and has reached base in 34 of the past 35 games…the Devils hit back-to-back home runs for the first time since Drew Stankiewicz and Dalton DiNatale on May 21, 2013 vs BYU…Allen became the 15th Sun Devil in school history to start 200 career games…Woodmansee notched his team-leading 21st multi-hit game and team-best 12th multi-RBI game…the Devils did not commit an error for the fifth straight game, its longest error-less stretch of the season…Woodmansee is tied with RJ Ybarra and Brian Serven for the team lead in home runs with five...Bielek notched his first home run as a Sun Devil.
Up Next
The Sun Devils take on USC in game two of the three-game series in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 23. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m., and will be televised on Pac-12 Networks and broadcast by NBC Sports Radio AM 1060.
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