FULLERTON, Calif. – Arizona State brought the tying run to the plate twice in the ninth after a 4-4 tie was broken up by Pepperdine in the eighth, but was unable to overcome its three-run deficit in a season-ending loss in the Fullerton Regional on Sunday at Goodwin Field in Fullerton, Calif.
ASU took an early 2-0 lead in the third inning before the Waves countered with a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to assume a two-run lead. The Devils countered with runs in the top of the following two frames to lock the game in a 4-4 tie heading into the eighth.
Right-handed reliever Darin Gillies (3-6) induced a flyout to designated hitter Kolten Yamaguchi for the first out of the eighth inning, but conceded consecutive base hits to put the go-ahead run on second base. Gillies was able to get center fielder Jeremy Goldenetz to chase an 0-2 pitch for the second out before he loaded the bases with a walk to left fielder Chris Fornaci. Second baseman Hutton Moyer drove the second pitch of the next at-bat into center field for a three-run, bases-clearing double that proved to be the game-winning hit.
Catcher Brian Serven walked to lead off the ninth and center fielder Johnny Sewald singled and advanced to second on a fielding error to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Left fielder Jake Peevyhouse and shortstop Colby Woodmansee each represented the tying run at the plate, but they both flied out to end the game.
The Sun Devils finished the season with a 35-23 record, including an 18-12 record in Pac-12 play.
A pair of senior outfielders led the way offensively for the Devils as Peevyhouse went 2-for-4 with two RBI, including a solo homer, and right fielder Trever Allen tallied three hits. Designated hitter RJ Ybarra added a single and a double, and scored a pair of runs on a pair of sacrifice flies from second baseman Andrew Snow.
Right-hander Jordan Aboites, who made his first postseason start after he played all 14 innings at third base in ASU’s loss to Fullerton 14 hours earlier, allowed just one base runner through the first three innings of his outing. He conceded four runs on seven hits over the next 1 2/3 innings and was chased with two outs in the fifth.
ASU struck first with two runs in the top of the third behind three hits and aggressive base running. Ybarra stretched a leadoff hit into a double and catcher Zach Cerbo followed with a single up the middle before Snow plated the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to center field. Cerbo tagged and slid into second on the fly ball, and scored two batters later on a RBI single from Peevyhouse.
Aboites retired seven straight in the first third of the game before he hit the leadoff batter in the fourth and conceded two runs on three hits as Pepperdine right fielder Brandon Caruso and Yamaguchi each drove in a run with a single and a double, respectively. Aboites limited the damage in the frame, however, as he coerced a pop-up and a groundout on two pitches to strand a pair of runners in scoring position.
The Waves took a two-run lead in the bottom of the fifth, 4-2, behind a two-run homer from Moyer. Right-hander Hever Bueno, who replaced Aboites, recorded the final out in the frame to leave runners on second and third.
The Devils scored unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings to knot the game at four runs apiece. Peevyhouse opened the sixth with a home run over the right-field fence, and ASU led off the seventh with back-to-back hits, including a single from Ybarra and a double from Serven, before Snow’s second sacrifice fly of the day brought home the fourth run of the game.
Bueno put together a perfect sixth inning, but a throwing error and walk to lead off the seventh brought in Gillies, who recorded three straight outs, including an inning-ending swinging strikeout on a full count, to escape the jam.
NOTES
ASU moved to 10-7 against the Waves, including 3-3 in the postseason…ASU has lost to Pepperdine in the postseason in each of its past two trips to the NCAA tournament…Allen has played 205 career games at ASU, 13th-most in school history…the Sun Devils hit five home runs in the regional by five different players…ASU committed its first error in its past 10 games…Gillies’ 84 career appearances are the sixth-most in school history…Allen has notched multiple hits in all three postseason games in the Fullerton Regional and has 13 career postseason hits…Allen’s 76 hits and 25 extra-base hits led the team.
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