PHOENIX – The Sun Devil Baseball team earned a 9-6 victory over No. 13 Stanford in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
A potent offensive attack and a gem of a performance from southpaw Connor Higgins combined to snap 13th-ranked Stanford's 11-game winning streak, the longest active winning streak in the nation.
For the second consecutive contest, the offense provided fireworks early and often. The teams combined for 17 runs in the first four innings, but neither team would score over the final five innings.
The Sun Devil offense would take advantage of some prime scoring opportunities against Stanford (30-13, 13-8) left-hander Chris Castellanos, opportunities that had been rare against the Cardinal starter this season. Senior Zach Cerbo, who got the start in the designated hitter spot, collected three hits and a career-high four RBI's to lead the Sun Devil offense. Catcher Lyle Lin, infielder Andrew Snow and infielder Carter Aldrete added two hits each, part of a 12-hit display for the Sun Devils.
Arizona State (20-24, 7-14) starting left-hander Spencer Van Scoyoc was unable to find his command, walking four batters and allowing two earned runs despite not allowing a hit. Left-hander Connor Higgins came on in relief in the second inning and delivered a brilliant outing for the Sun Devils. Higgins would pitch the rest of the game, going the final 7.2 innings allowing just one earned run on six hits while striking out four batters.
The Sun Devils – who have struggled this season in the first inning of games – reversed the script a bit on Sunday, pushing five across in the opening frame for an early 5-1 lead. The two-out rally started with single to left from outfielder Tyler Williams to score infielders Taylor Lane and Andrew Snow. Carter Aldrete followed with his team-leading 25th RBI of the season, a double down the left field line on an 0-2 pitch to score outfielder Hunter Bishop. Zach Cerbo made it three consecutive hits with a two-RBI single up the middle to plate Williams and Aldrete.
The Cardinal promptly responded with a four-run second inning to even things at 5-5 and chase Van Scoyoc from the game in favor of Connor Higgins.
It would not take long for Arizona State to retake the lead. In the bottom half of the third, Lyle Lin and Hunter Bishop led the inning off with back-to-back singles. After Carter Aldrete walked to load the bases, Zach Cerbo came through with a rocket to left field on the first pitch, scoring Lin and Bishop. The Devils would not be done yet, as Jeremy McCuin hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Aldrete from third to push the lead to 8-5.
Stanford tacked on a run in the fourth, the only earned run scored off Higgins, to reduce the lead to 8-6. ASU would have yet another response in the bottom half of the frame. Singles from Andrew Snow and Lyle Lin put runners on the corners with one out. Cardinal right-handed reliever Brett Hanewich spiked one in the dirt, bouncing the ball past his catcher allowing Snow to score from third to give the Sun Devils a 9-6 lead.
That is where the score would stay for the remainder of the game, as both relievers were locked in.
After allowing a single to start the fifth inning, Higgins settled down and shut down a potent Cardinal offense. Higgins would retire the next 13 batters he faced, the streak ending with two outs in the ninth. Higgins was able to work around the two-out baserunner, getting Stanford outfielder and three-hole hitter Quinn Brodey to pop out to shortstop to end the game, earning his third victory of the season.
Notes: The 7.2 inning outing from southpaw Connor Higgins established a new career-high in innings pitched (previous high was 4.2 innings)…Higgins has allowed one earned run in his last 10.2 innings pitched (0.84 ERA)…The Sun Devils scored five earned runs in the first inning off of Stanford starter Chris Castellanos…Coming into the game, Castellanos had allowed just 20 earned runs in 68.2 innings pitched (2.62 ERA)…The five earned runs are the most Castellanos has allowed in a start this season...ASU batted through the lineup in the first inning…Zach Cerbo drove in a career-high four RBI's and recorded his eighth multi-hit game of the season…The bottom four hitters in the Sun Devil lineup accounted for all eight RBI's on the afternoon (Cerbo – 4, Williams – 2, McCuin – 1, Aldrete – 1)…With his two hits today, Lyle Lin is now tied with Gage Canning for the team lead in multi-hit games with 15 a piece…Taylor Lane extended his hitting streak to six games, his longest of the season…Carter Aldrete now has 11 multi-hit games on the season…The Sun Devil offense scored 21 runs against a stifling Stanford pitching rotation that had allowed just 27 runs in its nine-game winning streak entering the weekend…Only top-ranked Oregon State (25 runs) scored more runs in a three-game series against the Cardinal this season…
Up Next: The Sun Devils head down the I-10 for a midweek non-conference tilt against a Top-25 Arizona team in Tucson...The game will get underway Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. PT...The tilt will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network while also aired on NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM in Phoenix with Tim Healey and Max Rossiter on the call...
A potent offensive attack and a gem of a performance from southpaw Connor Higgins combined to snap 13th-ranked Stanford's 11-game winning streak, the longest active winning streak in the nation.
For the second consecutive contest, the offense provided fireworks early and often. The teams combined for 17 runs in the first four innings, but neither team would score over the final five innings.
The Sun Devil offense would take advantage of some prime scoring opportunities against Stanford (30-13, 13-8) left-hander Chris Castellanos, opportunities that had been rare against the Cardinal starter this season. Senior Zach Cerbo, who got the start in the designated hitter spot, collected three hits and a career-high four RBI's to lead the Sun Devil offense. Catcher Lyle Lin, infielder Andrew Snow and infielder Carter Aldrete added two hits each, part of a 12-hit display for the Sun Devils.
Arizona State (20-24, 7-14) starting left-hander Spencer Van Scoyoc was unable to find his command, walking four batters and allowing two earned runs despite not allowing a hit. Left-hander Connor Higgins came on in relief in the second inning and delivered a brilliant outing for the Sun Devils. Higgins would pitch the rest of the game, going the final 7.2 innings allowing just one earned run on six hits while striking out four batters.
The Sun Devils – who have struggled this season in the first inning of games – reversed the script a bit on Sunday, pushing five across in the opening frame for an early 5-1 lead. The two-out rally started with single to left from outfielder Tyler Williams to score infielders Taylor Lane and Andrew Snow. Carter Aldrete followed with his team-leading 25th RBI of the season, a double down the left field line on an 0-2 pitch to score outfielder Hunter Bishop. Zach Cerbo made it three consecutive hits with a two-RBI single up the middle to plate Williams and Aldrete.
The Cardinal promptly responded with a four-run second inning to even things at 5-5 and chase Van Scoyoc from the game in favor of Connor Higgins.
It would not take long for Arizona State to retake the lead. In the bottom half of the third, Lyle Lin and Hunter Bishop led the inning off with back-to-back singles. After Carter Aldrete walked to load the bases, Zach Cerbo came through with a rocket to left field on the first pitch, scoring Lin and Bishop. The Devils would not be done yet, as Jeremy McCuin hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Aldrete from third to push the lead to 8-5.
Stanford tacked on a run in the fourth, the only earned run scored off Higgins, to reduce the lead to 8-6. ASU would have yet another response in the bottom half of the frame. Singles from Andrew Snow and Lyle Lin put runners on the corners with one out. Cardinal right-handed reliever Brett Hanewich spiked one in the dirt, bouncing the ball past his catcher allowing Snow to score from third to give the Sun Devils a 9-6 lead.
That is where the score would stay for the remainder of the game, as both relievers were locked in.
After allowing a single to start the fifth inning, Higgins settled down and shut down a potent Cardinal offense. Higgins would retire the next 13 batters he faced, the streak ending with two outs in the ninth. Higgins was able to work around the two-out baserunner, getting Stanford outfielder and three-hole hitter Quinn Brodey to pop out to shortstop to end the game, earning his third victory of the season.
Notes: The 7.2 inning outing from southpaw Connor Higgins established a new career-high in innings pitched (previous high was 4.2 innings)…Higgins has allowed one earned run in his last 10.2 innings pitched (0.84 ERA)…The Sun Devils scored five earned runs in the first inning off of Stanford starter Chris Castellanos…Coming into the game, Castellanos had allowed just 20 earned runs in 68.2 innings pitched (2.62 ERA)…The five earned runs are the most Castellanos has allowed in a start this season...ASU batted through the lineup in the first inning…Zach Cerbo drove in a career-high four RBI's and recorded his eighth multi-hit game of the season…The bottom four hitters in the Sun Devil lineup accounted for all eight RBI's on the afternoon (Cerbo – 4, Williams – 2, McCuin – 1, Aldrete – 1)…With his two hits today, Lyle Lin is now tied with Gage Canning for the team lead in multi-hit games with 15 a piece…Taylor Lane extended his hitting streak to six games, his longest of the season…Carter Aldrete now has 11 multi-hit games on the season…The Sun Devil offense scored 21 runs against a stifling Stanford pitching rotation that had allowed just 27 runs in its nine-game winning streak entering the weekend…Only top-ranked Oregon State (25 runs) scored more runs in a three-game series against the Cardinal this season…
Up Next: The Sun Devils head down the I-10 for a midweek non-conference tilt against a Top-25 Arizona team in Tucson...The game will get underway Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. PT...The tilt will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network while also aired on NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM in Phoenix with Tim Healey and Max Rossiter on the call...