PHOENIX – Both starting pitchers shined and a trio of Sun Devils paced an offense that tallied 18 hits and 10 runs as the baseball program swept its doubleheader against Xavier and improved to 3-0 on the season on Saturday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Center fielder Andrew Shaps went 4-for-7, including a double and a triple, and added a pair of RBI and three runs scored, first baseman David Greer batted. 500 with three hits and three RBI, and shortstop Colby Woodmansee drove in a three runs on three hits, including two doubles.
Arizona State’s starting pitchers, right-hander Seth Martinez and left-hander Eli Lingos, combined for 11 strikeouts and allowed just two earned runs in 12 1/3 innings.
Game 1
Martinez went seven strong innings to power the Sun Devils to a 2-1 win against Xavier in game one of its doubleheader.
Martinez (1-0) struck out six in seven innings in a winning effort, and did not allow an earned run on four hits and a walk. He retired the first 16 batters he faced and allowed just one extra-base hit, a two-out double in the seventh.
Three Sun Devils each tallied a pair of hits with a double, including Greer, who scored and drove in the eventual go-ahead run with a RBI single in the fifth. Designated hitter Sebastian Zawada went 2-for-4, including his first career hit, in the first start of his career, and Shaps added a double and scored the go-ahead run.
Right-hander Grant Schneider (1) closed out the final two innings, a career long, to pick up his first career save with a career-best four strikeouts. He took over in the eighth and struck out three in his first relief inning of the season, and closed out the ninth with a swinging strikeout.
ASU jumped on the scoreboard first, 1-0, in the bottom of fourth via a pair of doubles from Greer and Woodmansee.
Shaps got it done with his glove and his bat in the next inning to help ASU take a 2-1 lead. He made a diving catch to save extra-bases to open the top of the frame, and followed with a two-out double to center field in the bottom half before Greer drove him home in the next at-bat with a RBI single.
XU shortstop Andre Jernigan scored Xavier’s first run of the game in the fifth as he singled, advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and throwing error by Martinez, and came home on a RBI single from right fielder Blaine Griffiths.
Musketeers starting left-hander Greg Jacknewitz (0-1) took the loss as he surrendered two runs on seven hits and a pair of walks in 6 2/3 innings.
Game 2
Shaps and Lingos put together career performances at the plate and on the mound to power the Sun Devils to an 8-2 win against Xavier in game two of its doubleheader.
The Devils struck twice in the opening frame and added three in the third inning, and five pitchers combined to keep the Musketeers to just two runs.
Shaps notched three hits, including his first career triple, two RBI and two runs scored, all career-high marks, while Greer and Woodmansee each drove in a pair of runs. Right fielder Gage Canning added two hits, and second baseman Andrew Snow and third baseman Jordan Aboites each recorded their first RBI of the season.
Lingos (1-0), in his first career start, set career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts as he went 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts in the win. He allowed a pair of runs on eight hits and a walk, and put together two perfect frames.
Consecutive base hits by designated hitter Daniel Williams, who scored three runs in the win, and Shaps began the bottom of the first inning. Each advanced into scoring position on a balk before a sacrifice fly by Greer and a RBI double by Woodmansee plated both runners.
Xavier first baseman Joe Gellenbeck led off the second inning with a solo home run, the first one hit at Phoenix Muni this season, over the wall in right field to cut the Devils’ lead in half, 2-1.
Williams and Shaps both once again reached base to lead off the third via a hit-by-pitch and a single, and Greer and Woodmansee continued their timely hitting with a RBI single and a sacrifice fly, respectively, to each drive in a run. Catcher Zach Cerbo reached in the next at-bat on a fielder’s choice and came home on consecutive singles from Canning and Snow as ASU moved ahead by four runs.
The Musketeers used a leadoff triple from left fielder Will LaRue and a single from center fielder Matt Fallon in the top of the fifth inning to notch their second run of the game.
Right-hander Ryan Hingst took the mound in the sixth inning with a runner 90 feet from home plate and issued a looking strikeout and a groundout to strand him at third. He faced three batters in the seventh and totaled one scoreless relief inning across two frames with a pair of strikeouts in his first appearance of the season.
ASU doubled its lead in the sixth, 8-2, with just one base hit. Aboites scored Snow, who walked and advanced to third on a wild pitch, with a fielder’s choice ground ball up the middle, and Shaps punctuated the three-run inning with a two-run triple off the wall in center field.
Right-hander Eric Melbostad struck out one in 2/3 innings of relief, and freshmen right-handers Connor Higgins and Fitz Stadler each made their first career appearances in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to close out the doubleheader.
Notes: The Sun Devils have not trailed in 27 innings this season…Tyler Williams made his first career start in right field in game one…Ryan Lillard made his first appearance of the season and first career start in left field in game two…Zach Cerbo made his first start of the season at catcher in game two…Coltin Gerhart made his first appearance of the season in left field in game two…ASU improved to 488-143 in doubleheaders…the Devils are now 18-2 in February series’ since 2005…Stadler recorded two strikeouts in his one inning of work…Higgins loaded the base with two hits and a hit batter, but he induced a groundout to end the frame...Shaps has more at-bats through three games in 2016 than he did all of 2015.
Up Next
The Devils host Xavier for the final game of the series at 12 p.m. at Phoenix Muni. The will be live streamed via thesundevils.com.
Sunday’s Pitching Matchup
XU: LHP Trent Astle
ASU: RHP Reagan Todd