FORT WORTH, Texas – Starting right-hander Jordan Aboites put together a career performance as his one-run complete game powered No. 2 seed Sun Devil Baseball to a 4-1 win against No. 4 seed Oral Roberts in an elimination game in the Fort Worth Regional on Saturday at Lupton Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.
Aboites (7-2) held the Golden Eagles scoreless for the first 5 2/3 innings in his first career complete game and second postseason start. He struck out seven, walked just one and kept ORU to just one run on 11 hits.
Catcher Brian Serven accounted for all four of the Devils’ runs as he drove in three and scored two behind a double and a two-run homer. Second baseman Andrew Snow added two hits and a RBI, and first baseman David Greer tallied a pair of singles and scored a run.
The Sun Devils (35-22) will play at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday at Lupton Stadium against the loser of the fourth game of the Fort Worth Regional between No. 1 seed TCU and No. 3 seed Gonzaga.
Aboites bookended a perfect first inning with a pair of swinging strikeouts and stranded 10 runners across the remaining eight innings. He left two on in the second, induced a pair of inning-ending double plays to keep ORU off the board in the fourth and fifth innings, worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, and held a pair in scoring position in the ninth.
Right fielder Gage Canning took a leadoff walk in the opening frame, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on a sacrifice fly from Serven to put the Devils ahead, 1-0.
ASU stretched its lead, 4-0, in the middle innings with a RBI single from Snow in the fourth and Serven’s two-run homer in the fifth. Serven led off the fourth with a double to left center and went to third on a fly ball before Snow’s base hit dropped over the shortstop’s head. Greer’s two-out single in the ensuing inning kept the frame alive for Serven, who drove a 3-0 pitch deep into left field.
The Golden Eagles used three singles to score their first run of the game with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, but Aboites was able to get a fly ball to right field to leave two on base and keep ASU’s lead intact.
Aboites once again worked himself out of a jam in the eighth inning as he delivered a swinging strikeout and a groundout with the bases loaded and one out.
ORU put a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs in the ninth, but Aboites delivered a swinging strikeout, his seventh of the game, on three pitches.
Notes: Aboites has set his career-high in innings pitched in each of his past three starts. He went seven at UCLA May 22, 7 2/3 vs. USC May 26, and nine today.
FORT WORTH REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, June 3, 2016
Game 1: No. 3 Gonzaga 5, No. 2 Arizona State 1
Game 2: No. 1 TCU 7, No. 4 Oral Roberts 0
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Game 3: No. 2 Arizona State 4, No. 4 Oral Roberts 1
Game 4: 4:30 p.m. PT – No. 3 Gonzaga vs. No. 1 TCU
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Game 5: 12 p.m. PT – No. 2 Arizona State vs. loser of Game 4
Game 6: 4:30 p.m. PT - Winners of Game 4 and Game 5
Monday, June 6, 2016
Game 7: 1 p.m. PT - If necessary (repeat of Game 6 teams)
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