PHOENIX – Eli Lingos dazzled through 7.2 innings and the offense broke out for four runs in the fifth inning to lead Sun Devil Baseball over CSU Bakersfield, 4-2, Saturday evening at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Arizona State (18-19) scored all four of their runs in the fifth inning, providing plenty of offense for Lingos. The southpaw was spectacular for the Sun Devils, tying a career-high with 7.2 innings pitched while striking out six and allowing just one earned run on eight hits. Lingos escaped jams consistently tonight, inducing four double plays – tied for sixth most in a single game in school history – on his way to his fifth quality start in 11 starts this season.
Outfielder Gage Canning stayed scorching hot to pace the offense, going 3-for-4 with a two-run shot off the top of the batting cage well past the right field fence. Outfielder Tyler Williams and infielder Jeremy McCuin each delivered an RBI-single as part of the four-run fifth inning for the Sun Devils.
Left-hander Connor Higgins relieved Lingos in the eighth inning, giving the bullpen a rest by completing the rest of the game on the way to earning his third save of the season.
CSU Bakersfield starting right-hander Andrew Hansen (3-1) kept the Arizona State offense in check through the first four innings, allowing just three hits and no runs through the first four innings. Hansen finished his outing with 6.0 innings pitched, allowing four earned runs on eight hits while striking out a pair.
Two double plays in the first two innings helped Lingos work around a baserunner in each inning to keep the Roadrunners off the board early. CSU Bakersfield struck first in the third inning, outfielder Andrew Penner scored outfielder Sergio Robles on an RBI-groundout to claim the 1-0 lead.
One inning later, designated hitter Mahlik Jones doubled the CSU Bakersfield lead with an RBI-single scoring Ryan Grotjohn, who had reached previously on an error.
All the support Lingos and the pitching staff needed tonight came in the game-changing fifth inning. Catcher Zach Cerbo started things off with a one-out double followed by an RBI-single on a pinch-hit appearance from Williams which cut the lead to 2-1. With twoouts in the inning, the Devils were not done scoring. McCuin singled into left field to score Tyler Williams from second to knot the game up at 2. The big blow of the inning came in the form of a two-run blast well over the right field fence by Gage Canning, his third of the season – all coming in his current 11-game hitting streak - to push the Devils ahead 4-2.
Now provided a lead, Lingos would make sure it stayed that way, stranding a leadoff single in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. The defense backed up Lingos over that stretch, turning two double plays and throwing a runner out attempting to steal.
Pitching into the eighth inning, Lingos struck out two batters and allowed a walk and a single before giving way to left-hander Connor Higgins, leaving to a standing ovation from the crowd. With a pair of runners on and the winning run at the plate, Higgins did not seem fazed by the pressure. Higgins got Roadrunners cleanup hitter Max Carter to pop out on the first pitch he delivered out of the bullpen.
Sporting a slim two-run lead, Higgins would go the final 1.1 innings for the Sun Devils, allowing one hit in the ninth before a lineout and a strikeout ended the game for the Roadrunners by a final score of 4-2.
NOTES: Gage Canning extended his team-best hitting streak to 11 games and is 25-for-48 (.521) with three home runs, three triples and three doubles, slugging .896 in the process...Canning now has eight games with three or more hits on the season which is four more than any other Sun Devil and surpasses the team lead from last season (6)…Eight three-hit games is tied for the most for an ASU player since Kasey Coffman in 2013… Lyle Lin has reached base in 23 consecutive games…It is the longest active streak by a Sun Devil and Lin now sits third among all ASU freshmen since 2000 for the longest in a season, trailing only Gage Canning (28, 2016) and Dustin Pedroia (26, 2002)…Lin has reached base in all but one game this season…In 20 total appearances last season, Lingos threw 64.0 innings pitched…Matching a career-high with 7.2 innings pitched on Saturday, Lingos has now compiled 63.2 innings in just 11 total appearances…The Sun Devil pitching staff induced four double plays on the night…Arizona State matched a season low in strikeouts, fanning just twice on the evening…The Sun Devils hand CSU Bakersfield right-hander Andrew Hansen his first loss (3-1) in 10 appearances…With two more hits on the night, infielder Carter Aldrete now has 9 multi-hit games of the season…Zach Cerbo extends his hitting streak to seven games…With two runners thrown out on the evening, Cerbo is now tied for first in the Pac-12 with 10 runners caught stealing this season…Lingos induced four double plays on the evening, notable as the Sun Devil defense had turned just four double plays behind him all season entering the evening…
Arizona State (18-19) scored all four of their runs in the fifth inning, providing plenty of offense for Lingos. The southpaw was spectacular for the Sun Devils, tying a career-high with 7.2 innings pitched while striking out six and allowing just one earned run on eight hits. Lingos escaped jams consistently tonight, inducing four double plays – tied for sixth most in a single game in school history – on his way to his fifth quality start in 11 starts this season.
Outfielder Gage Canning stayed scorching hot to pace the offense, going 3-for-4 with a two-run shot off the top of the batting cage well past the right field fence. Outfielder Tyler Williams and infielder Jeremy McCuin each delivered an RBI-single as part of the four-run fifth inning for the Sun Devils.
Left-hander Connor Higgins relieved Lingos in the eighth inning, giving the bullpen a rest by completing the rest of the game on the way to earning his third save of the season.
CSU Bakersfield starting right-hander Andrew Hansen (3-1) kept the Arizona State offense in check through the first four innings, allowing just three hits and no runs through the first four innings. Hansen finished his outing with 6.0 innings pitched, allowing four earned runs on eight hits while striking out a pair.
Two double plays in the first two innings helped Lingos work around a baserunner in each inning to keep the Roadrunners off the board early. CSU Bakersfield struck first in the third inning, outfielder Andrew Penner scored outfielder Sergio Robles on an RBI-groundout to claim the 1-0 lead.
One inning later, designated hitter Mahlik Jones doubled the CSU Bakersfield lead with an RBI-single scoring Ryan Grotjohn, who had reached previously on an error.
All the support Lingos and the pitching staff needed tonight came in the game-changing fifth inning. Catcher Zach Cerbo started things off with a one-out double followed by an RBI-single on a pinch-hit appearance from Williams which cut the lead to 2-1. With twoouts in the inning, the Devils were not done scoring. McCuin singled into left field to score Tyler Williams from second to knot the game up at 2. The big blow of the inning came in the form of a two-run blast well over the right field fence by Gage Canning, his third of the season – all coming in his current 11-game hitting streak - to push the Devils ahead 4-2.
Now provided a lead, Lingos would make sure it stayed that way, stranding a leadoff single in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. The defense backed up Lingos over that stretch, turning two double plays and throwing a runner out attempting to steal.
Pitching into the eighth inning, Lingos struck out two batters and allowed a walk and a single before giving way to left-hander Connor Higgins, leaving to a standing ovation from the crowd. With a pair of runners on and the winning run at the plate, Higgins did not seem fazed by the pressure. Higgins got Roadrunners cleanup hitter Max Carter to pop out on the first pitch he delivered out of the bullpen.
Sporting a slim two-run lead, Higgins would go the final 1.1 innings for the Sun Devils, allowing one hit in the ninth before a lineout and a strikeout ended the game for the Roadrunners by a final score of 4-2.
NOTES: Gage Canning extended his team-best hitting streak to 11 games and is 25-for-48 (.521) with three home runs, three triples and three doubles, slugging .896 in the process...Canning now has eight games with three or more hits on the season which is four more than any other Sun Devil and surpasses the team lead from last season (6)…Eight three-hit games is tied for the most for an ASU player since Kasey Coffman in 2013… Lyle Lin has reached base in 23 consecutive games…It is the longest active streak by a Sun Devil and Lin now sits third among all ASU freshmen since 2000 for the longest in a season, trailing only Gage Canning (28, 2016) and Dustin Pedroia (26, 2002)…Lin has reached base in all but one game this season…In 20 total appearances last season, Lingos threw 64.0 innings pitched…Matching a career-high with 7.2 innings pitched on Saturday, Lingos has now compiled 63.2 innings in just 11 total appearances…The Sun Devil pitching staff induced four double plays on the night…Arizona State matched a season low in strikeouts, fanning just twice on the evening…The Sun Devils hand CSU Bakersfield right-hander Andrew Hansen his first loss (3-1) in 10 appearances…With two more hits on the night, infielder Carter Aldrete now has 9 multi-hit games of the season…Zach Cerbo extends his hitting streak to seven games…With two runners thrown out on the evening, Cerbo is now tied for first in the Pac-12 with 10 runners caught stealing this season…Lingos induced four double plays on the evening, notable as the Sun Devil defense had turned just four double plays behind him all season entering the evening…