TUCSON, Ariz. – An eighth-inning rally came up short as Sun Devil Baseball fell to No. 20 Arizona, 4-2, on Saturday night at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Ariz.
The Sun Devils (30-17, 12-11) used a solo home run from designated hitter Sebastian Zawada, three consecutive base hits and a two-out walk in the eighth to cut its deficit to two and put the tying run at second, but a bases-loaded strikeout ended the late-game surge.
The five-game Territorial Cup baseball series is tied at two games apiece. Three sports are still undecided in the overall Territorial Cup Series, but the Devils already clinched their third consecutive Territorial Cup Series Trophy, 10-5-6.5, on May 1.
Starting left-hander Eli Lingos (3-3) allowed just one hit through four shutout innings to begin his outing, but was responsible for three runs on two hits and a walk across the fifth and sixth to take the loss.
A quartet of freshmen, including right-handers James Ryan, Fitz Stadler, Chris Isbell, and left-hander Connor Higgins, closed out the final 2 1/3 innings.
Lingos retired the first five batters of the game before the Wildcats (32-17, 15-11) threatened with a single and a walk, but he responded with a swinging strikeout to strand them both in the second. UA lurked again in the third after a fielding error on first baseman David Greer and a one-out walk put two more runners on base, but Lingos fielded a comebacker to the mound and found shortstop Colby Woodmansee, who made the turn and throw to first for an inning-ending double play.
A pair of walks by Lingos to start the fifth led to a pair of runs in the inning via a sacrifice fly and a single, and put ASU down 2-0. He was replaced by Ryan with one out in the ensuing inning following a leadoff double and a sacrifice bunt, and the Wildcats plated two more behind two singles and a sacrifice bunt.
Zawada’s seventh home run of the season, a solo shot to right field, put the Devils on the board in the top of the eighth and breathed life into ASU’s bats. Pinch hitter RJ Ybarra singled two batters later, right fielder Gage Canning followed with a base hit on the next pitch and Greer cut the team’s deficit to two, 4-2, with a single up the middle. Woodmansee drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases and put the tying run at second, but a swinging strikeout by third baseman Andrew Snow ended the rally.
Isbell replaced Stadler, who tossed a scoreless seventh, with a runner on first and no outs in the bottom of the eighth, and faced a jam three batters later after two walks and a groundout. However, he left the bases loaded behind a looking strikeout and a fly ball to right field to keep ASU’s deficit to two, 4-2.
A single from center fielder Andrew Shaps brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but a strikeout and fly ball to right field left the conference series tied at one game apiece.
Notes: Snow made his second consecutive start at third base…Canning extended his streak of reaching base safely to a team-high 25 games…Higgins faced two batters in the sixth.
Up Next
The Sun Devils close out their three-game Territorial Cup Series with Arizona in Tucson at 3 p.m. on Sunday. It will be televised by Pac-12 Networks and broadcast on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060 with Tim Healey and Max Rossiter on the call.
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