TEMPE – Arizona State scored the very first batter to step the plate, Trevor Hauver made an incredible diving catch to save the game and the pitching staff did the rest as Sun Devil Baseball (4-4) took down Long Beach State, 1-0, to open a two-game midweek series against the Dirtbags on Tuesday evening in Long Beach, Calif.
The Devil pitching staff combined to allow just four hits on the evening, striking out eight and keeping a Long Beach State (2-6) team that hosted a Super Regional last season totally off balance throughout the night.
Alec Marsh pitched 4.2 innings of scoreless relief after starter Jake Godfrey struck out two and allowed no hits in two innings of action. Marsh struck out a career-high four batters and allowing just two hits in a scoreless effort.
Marsh's performance earned him the first win of his career and of the season and the sophomore has yet to allow a run in two appearances this season.
With two runners on and two outs in the seventh, Marsh passed the torch to Connor Higgins and the junior logged the final out of the inning to keep LBSU off the board.
Sam Romero was untouchable in the eighth inning, retiring the side on just eight pitches to set the table for closer Chaz Montoya, who earned his second save in as many games.
The victory didn't come without some late theatrics as a single and double in the ninth put two Dirtbag runners in scoring position with two outs. LBSU pinch hitter Shaq Robertson ripped a shot into left field that looked like it could have had walk-off potential before freshman Trevor Hauver – who had just entered the game in the ninth inning – made an incredible diving catch to record to third out and lock up the Sun Devil victory.
It was the player that Hauver replaced in the final frame that had the game's lone RBI, as starting left fielder Scott Mehan brought home the contest's only run back in the first inning. Gage Canning led the game off with an infield single, stealing second and then coming home on Mehan's single to right.
That would be the extent of the scoring for either team in the contest. ASU threatened in the sixth behind Lyle Lin's second single of the game and a Spencer Torkelson walk with one out but an LBSU double play ended the threat and ASU was unable to add to its lead.
Canning and Lin finished each finished 2-for-4 in the effort, extending their streaks of having a hit in every game this season. The Sun Devil pitching staff has allowed just one run in its last two games, bringing the team's season ERA down to 3.21. ASU had not had a two-game span allowing just one run since doing so against Washington State in 2015. The four hits allowed were the fewest since ASU gave up just four to Oregon on April 28 last season.
The two teams will return to Blair Field tomorrow at 6 p.m. PT (7 p.m. AZT). The Sun Devils will return home to take on Oklahoma State in Phoenix with a three-game series scheduled to begin Friday at 6 p.m.
The Devil pitching staff combined to allow just four hits on the evening, striking out eight and keeping a Long Beach State (2-6) team that hosted a Super Regional last season totally off balance throughout the night.
Alec Marsh pitched 4.2 innings of scoreless relief after starter Jake Godfrey struck out two and allowed no hits in two innings of action. Marsh struck out a career-high four batters and allowing just two hits in a scoreless effort.
Marsh's performance earned him the first win of his career and of the season and the sophomore has yet to allow a run in two appearances this season.
With two runners on and two outs in the seventh, Marsh passed the torch to Connor Higgins and the junior logged the final out of the inning to keep LBSU off the board.
Sam Romero was untouchable in the eighth inning, retiring the side on just eight pitches to set the table for closer Chaz Montoya, who earned his second save in as many games.
The victory didn't come without some late theatrics as a single and double in the ninth put two Dirtbag runners in scoring position with two outs. LBSU pinch hitter Shaq Robertson ripped a shot into left field that looked like it could have had walk-off potential before freshman Trevor Hauver – who had just entered the game in the ninth inning – made an incredible diving catch to record to third out and lock up the Sun Devil victory.
It was the player that Hauver replaced in the final frame that had the game's lone RBI, as starting left fielder Scott Mehan brought home the contest's only run back in the first inning. Gage Canning led the game off with an infield single, stealing second and then coming home on Mehan's single to right.
That would be the extent of the scoring for either team in the contest. ASU threatened in the sixth behind Lyle Lin's second single of the game and a Spencer Torkelson walk with one out but an LBSU double play ended the threat and ASU was unable to add to its lead.
Canning and Lin finished each finished 2-for-4 in the effort, extending their streaks of having a hit in every game this season. The Sun Devil pitching staff has allowed just one run in its last two games, bringing the team's season ERA down to 3.21. ASU had not had a two-game span allowing just one run since doing so against Washington State in 2015. The four hits allowed were the fewest since ASU gave up just four to Oregon on April 28 last season.
The two teams will return to Blair Field tomorrow at 6 p.m. PT (7 p.m. AZT). The Sun Devils will return home to take on Oklahoma State in Phoenix with a three-game series scheduled to begin Friday at 6 p.m.