FULLERTON, Calif. – The longest postseason game in Sun Devil Baseball history ended on a bases-loaded walk as No. 2 seed Arizona State fell to No. 1 seed Cal State Fullerton, 3-2, in 14 innings in the Fullerton Regional on Saturday night at Goodwin Field in Fullerton, Calif.
The Titans (36-22) scored the winning run with two outs in the 14th inning off right-handed reliever Eder Erives on a hit batter and three walks in a game that spanned five hours and 12 minutes.
The Sun Devils (35-22) face Pepperdine in an elimination game on Sunday at 4:05 pm PT on ESPN3 and NBC Sports Radio AM 1060. ASU is the designated away team in the elimination game, and the winner will take on CSUF at 8:05 pm PT.
ASU scored one run in each of the first two innings to take an early 2-0 lead, but was held scoreless for the next 12 innings. The Titans notched a run in the second and sixth innings, and both teams were locked in a 2-2 tie for seven innings.
Shortstop Colby Woodmansee went 3-for-5, second baseman Andrew Snow tallied a solo home run in the second inning, and right fielder Trever Allen added a pair of hits as 13 Sun Devils recorded an at-bat.
Fullerton starting right-hander Thomas Eshelman struck out 14 in nine innings, and conceded two runs on seven walks in a no-decision. Right-handed reliever Tyler Peitzmeier (3-3) threw five scoreless innings to earn the win.
ASU starting right-hander Seth Martinez allowed just five base runners on four hits and a walk, and was responsible for two runs in 5 1/3 innings. He was replaced with one out and a runner on second in the sixth inning to take a no-decision.
Third baseman Jordan Aboites assisted on the final out in the sixth, eighth and 11th innings, respectively, to strand runners and keep the score tied at two runs apiece. He lunged to his left on a ground ball in the sixth and made the throw to first for the final out with a runner on third, and cut off Woodmansee on a slow roller up the middle in the eighth and made a diving throw to first base for the final out with the bases loaded. He added a backhanded catch behind third base in the 11th and completed a long throw to first to strand two runners in scoring position.
Left-hander Brett Lilek, in his second relief appearance in the past three games, did not allow a run in two innings of work and struck out a pair. Right-hander Ryan Burr tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings in the second-longest relief outing of his career. He allowed just two hits and struck out four.
Center fielder Johnny Sewald opened the game with a double down the left-field line and scored before the next at-bat was finished as he came home on a wild pitch by Eshelman and a throwing error by Fullerton catcher A.J. Kennedy. Snow put the Devils ahead by a pair, 2-0, with a two-out solo home run over the left-field wall in the top of the second inning.
A five-pitch walk and a dropped foul fly with two outs brought the Titans within one in the bottom of the second. First baseman Tanner Pinkston was issued a free pass for the Titans’ first base runner of the game and moved to second on a groundout before a dropped pop fly near the wall in foul territory by ASU first baseman Joey Bielek resulted in a RBI single from shortstop Timmy Richards on the next pitch.
The Devils had an opportunity to extend their one-run lead in the top of the sixth inning as they put runners on the corners with no outs after a leadoff double by Woodmansee and an infield single by Allen, but Eshelman struck out the next three batters to keep ASU off the board. Fullerton capitalized in the bottom half of the frame to knot the game at two runs apiece.
ASU made two pitching changes in the sixth and the Titans recorded back-to-back base hits on the first pitch from both relievers to send the game into a 2-2 tie. A leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt ended Martinez’s outing, and center fielder Tyler Stieb and designated hitter Davi Olmedo-Barrera each notched singles off left-hander Eli Lingos and right-hander Darin Gillies, respectively, to plate the tying run.
Lilek entered with two outs and the go-ahead run on third base in the sixth, and induced a ground ball on a nine-pitch at-bat to keep it tied at two runs apiece. He threw a perfect seventh inning, but walked two to open the eighth before he recorded a groundout and a swinging strikeout, and was chased.
Burr took over in the eighth with two outs and two runners in scoring position, and induced a ground ball to end the threat. He recorded four consecutive scoreless innings before Erives, in his first appearance since he was hit in the head by a line drive against New Mexico on May 12, came in to pitch the 14th.
The Devils loaded the bases in the top of the 10th on a leadoff single by Aboites, an intentional walk to Woodmansee and an infield single by Allen, but Bielek struck out swinging. Burr retired the Titans in order in the bottom half of the frame with a groundout and pair of strikeouts to push the game into the 11th inning.
NOTES
ASU moved to 31-30 against the Titans, including 8-11 in the postseason, 0-5 in Fullerton Regionals and 3-3 in Fullerton Super Regionals…Woodmansee recorded his team-leading 24th multi-hit game, his team-best 18th double and his 24th extra-base hit, tied for the team lead…Martinez has allowed four runs on seven hits in 11.2 postseason innings…this marked the first extra-innings postseason game since the team’s Tempe Super Regional against Arkansas in 2010…ASU has played 12 extra-innings postseason games…the Sun Devils struck out a school-record 20 times…Burr’s 94 career appearances are the fifth-most in school history and five behind Ryan Bradley (1995-97) for the fourth-most.
FULLERTON REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, May 29, 2015
Game 1: No. 2 Arizona State 7, No. 3 Clemson 4
Game 2: No. 1 Cal State Fullerton 9, No. 4 Pepperdine 3
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Game 3: No. 4 Pepperdine 10, No. 3 Clemson 8
Game 4: No. 1 Cal State Fullerton 3, No. 2 Arizona State 2 (14)
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Game 5: 4:05 p.m. PT – No. 2 Arizona State vs. No. 4 Pepperdine - ESPN3/WatchESPN
Game 6: 8:05 p.m. PT – No. 1 Cal State Fullerton vs. winner of Game 5 - ESPNU/ESPN3
Monday, June 1, 2015
*Game 7: 8:05 p.m. PT - *If necessary (repeat of Game 6 teams) - ESPNU/ESPN3
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