STANFORD, Calif. –Sun Devil Baseball used a five-run seventh inning to break open a back-and-forth game and pick up a series-clinching road win, 9-6, against Stanford on Saturday at Sunken Diamond in Stanford, Calif.
The Sun Devils (22-14, 8-9) secured their first series win at Stanford since 2010 and their second straight against the Cardinal (19-14, 7-7), and picked up their second consecutive Pac-12 series win.
An early one-run lead by the Devils in the second inning turned into a one-run deficit in the third, but Arizona State scored twice in the fifth to again hold an advantage, 3-2. The Cardinal responded with three in the bottom of the sixth for a two-run lead before ASU notched five in the top of the ensuing inning.
Center fielder Andrew Shaps and right fielder Gage Canning each launched solo home runs, both the first of their respective careers, in the seventh inning to close the Devils’ two-run deficit, and pinch-hitter Ryan Lillard and catcher Brian Serven capped the frame with three two-out RBI to push Arizona State’s advantage to three, 8-5.
Serven, who tallied his second consecutive multi-hit game and his 12th of the season, including his third three-hit game, finished the day 3-for-5 with two RBI. Five other Devils drove in a run, including a pair from second baseman Andrew Snow and one each from ASU’s three outfielders.
Left-hander Tucker Baca (1-0) took over with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth, and induced a short chopper in front of the plate that Serven was able to corral and throw to first to pick up the final out. It marked Baca’s first win of the season and the second of his career.
Right-hander Eder Erives (5) entered the game in the bottom of the seventh and scattered one run on one hit and a walk to pick up his fifth save of the season. He worked himself out of a jam in the eighth and coerced a pop fly and fly out to consecutive batters to leave the tying run at the plate.
Starting left-hander Eli Lingos was responsible for five runs on six hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six, a season-high as a starter, and held Stanford without a hit through the first two innings as he retired the first four batters he faced and delivered an inning-ending strikeout to strand two runners in scoring position in the second.
Left fielder Tyler Williams continued to produce timely swings in the series as he put the Devils ahead, 1-0, in the second inning with his third RBI of the weekend. Designated hitter Daniel Williams reached second on a dropped fly ball by Stanford near the foul line in right field, advanced to third on a single by Serven and came home on Williams’ sacrifice fly to center field.
The Cardinal responded with two runs in the bottom of the third to take a one-run lead of its own, 2-1. A leadoff single and a run-scoring double opened the frame and tied the game, and a sacrifice fly two batters later put the home team on top.
A two-out, two-run double by Snow put the Devils back on top, 3-2, in the top of the fifth inning. T. Williams opened the fifth with a double to the center-field wall and Canning drew a two-out walk before Snow cleared the bases with his knock to left field.
Lingos retired eight straight from the final out of the third inning through the leadoff batter in the sixth before Cardinal outfielder Quinn Brodey put a solo home run over the wall in right field to knot the score at three runs apiece. Stanford rattled off four more hits, including a pair of doubles, to plate two more runs and hold a 5-3 lead.
Shaps drove the first pitch he faced in the seventh inning into the trees in right field and Canning followed suit two batters later with a solo home run of his own. First baseman David Greer and shortstop Colby Woodmansee walked and singled, respectively, after a fly out and a pitching change, to bring up Lillard, who knocked in the go-ahead run with a base hit up the middle. Serven stepped into the batter’s box next and plated both runners with a two-out, two-run double.
The two teams traded runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Stanford cut the Devils’ advantage to two with a leadoff double, a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice, but a wild pitch with the bases loaded in the ninth brought home Woodmansee and stretched ASU’s lead back to three, 9-6.
Notes: Snow leads the Sun Devils with 12 two-out RBI this season…Snow leads the team with 13 RBI in Pac-12 play…ASU tallied six of its runs with two-outs…right-handers James Ryan and Grant Schneider faced a combined four batters in the sixth.
Up Next
The Devils close out their three-game Pac-12 set at Stanford with a 1 p.m. game on Sunday. The game will be live streamed via GoStanford.com (http://pac-12.com/live/stanford-university) and broadcast on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060 with Tim Healey and Max Rossiter on the call.
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